The Rivian R2 Is Getting Launch Mode. It'll Be Quicker Than A Tesla Model Y Performance

Rivian R2 is getting launch mode, making it faster in the quarter mile than its biggest competitor.

Rivian R2 Launch Mode Hero

Photo by: Rivian

Rob Stumpf

By: Rob Stumpf

Jul 10, at 1:15pm ET

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The Rivian R2 is getting launch mode.
It will now be able to sprint from zero-to-60 MPH faster than Rivian's original figure suggested.
Rivian's video shows that even the Tesla Model Y Performance will face some serious speed competition off the line.

Some good news for all of those speed demons planning on getting the Rivian R2 Performance: it's getting quicker.

Rivian's Chief Software Officer, Wassym Bensaid, shared that the R2 is getting lanch mode in its next over-the-air update. And what's better than just telling folks about the new feature? Showing it to them, of course, which Bensaid did by posting a video of an R2 sprinting all the way up to its top speed.

Bensaid's video shows the driver flicking Rivian's Gear Guard Gary into orbit on the R2 Performance's infotainment screen in order to activate the feature. A cool animation switches the R2 onto a virtual track and a dragstrip-esque Christmas tree appears on the gauge cluster to count down.

The R2 then hums to life; its electric Maximus traction motors audibly whining as it hit 60 MPH in just 3.45 seconds—that's faster than Rivian's stated 3.6 second time, and slightly faster than the Tesla Model Y performance without its rollout subtracted.

It continues to pull strong up to 100 MPH, hitting that in 6.99 seconds, which nearly ties the Model 3 Performance and beats out the Model Y Performance's time by about a full second. The driver takes the car all the way up to its top speed of 130 MPH and hits the quarter mile in just 11.31 seconds, once again beating out the Model Y Performance.

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It's not clear exactly how this particular R2 was tested, or how prepped the road was for its test—real world conditions car vary greatly and the lead the new SUV has over its Tesla rival may be a bit harder to repeat in independent tests.

Regardless, it's an impressive feat. The R2 Performance was certifiably quick before it got launch mode, this is just the icing on the cake (especially when paired side-by-side with its biggest rival). Now who will be the first person to actually pit the Rivian R2 Performance with Launch Mode and the Tesla Model Y Performance against each other on the track?

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