It’s been over a year since the Rivian R2 was unveiled, and the smaller electric crossover is well on its way to the targeted 2026 on-sale date. Company CEO RJ Scaringe recently showed off progress on the pilot builds and detailed the new drive units, and now Rivian is talking about a less important but way more entertaining part of the R2’s journey to production: the camouflage that prototype test cars will wear when they venture out into the real world.
Typically camouflage wraps serve to obscure the design of an upcoming model, so companies can test the cars on public roads well ahead of when they get revealed. We already know what the R2 looks like, so nothing really needs to be obscured, but Rivian says that the “latest wraps serve as a reminder that even in the most technical phases of development, there’s still room to have a little fun.” To that end, Rivian’s nature-themed wraps have a fun easter egg in the form of Gear Guard Gary, the brand’s yeti mascot.
Spot the yeti
These wraps are a lot more whimsical than your typical black and white dazzle camo, with pointillism-esque illustrations of a forest-covered mountain on one car and a cactus-filled desert in the other. Senior director of exterior design Jonathan Szczupak says “we looked to the outdoors — textures, patterns, movement. We wanted to wrap R2 in nature and have it feel alive, dynamic, and a little mysterious. Almost like a children’s storybook. Something you’d want to take a second look at and explore deeper.” Beyond the yellow yeti appearing in various places on the wraps, Szczupak says there are other easter eggs, as “[the design team likes] to layer in little surprises — shapes, references and nods to Rivian that aren’t obvious at first glance. It’s a way to reward curiosity.”
Even though the design seems finalized, there might be some minimal changes to the R2 between now and the start of production, so putting these wraps on lets Rivian more easily refine small details throughout the process. Szczupak says it’s also just a signal to the world that these R2s are testing, and a nod to automotive development tradition. As for whether wraps like this will be sold to the public, Szczupak says never say never: “People have been asking, and we’re definitely listening. Right now, it’s just for development—but we’re always exploring ways to bring more personality into the ownership experience.”
Rivian
