Inside Rivian’s Design Factory: How Those Iconic Headlights Redefined Electric Adventure
Irvine, California — When Rivian first unveiled its R1T electric pickup in 2018, it didn’t just introduce one of the earliest EV trucks — it also made a design statement that divided opinions and turned heads everywhere: the oval “stadium” headlights.
Six years later, those headlights have become a defining symbol of Rivian’s brand — a blend of rugged exploration and futuristic simplicity. Now, as the company prepares to roll out its next generation of vehicles — the R2 SUV and the R3 hatchback — Rivian’s design lab in Irvine offers a glimpse into how creativity and engineering collide inside one of America’s most ambitious EV startups.
Designing for the Next Chapter
Chief Design Officer Jeff Hammoud says Rivian’s latest lineup is about reaching new audiences while staying true to its core philosophy.
“A lot of people were surprised with R3,” Hammoud told CNBC. “That was the key thing we wanted to show — we’re not pigeonholed to one form factor.”
The R2, a smaller sibling to the R1S SUV, will start around $45,000 — a significant step down from the R1’s $70,000+ price tag — and is expected to enter production at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois plant by the end of the year.
The R3, a rally-inspired electric hatchback, aims to tap into a new segment entirely — youthful, compact, and built for city and adventure driving alike.
“While R1 was designed through addition, we had to look at R2 through subtraction,” Hammoud said. “What can we take away, while keeping the ethos of the product and the brand?”
From Controversy to Identity
Inside Rivian’s California design studio, the creative process blends industrial artistry with meticulous engineering. Early sketches show how the company iterated on its now-famous front-end look — a bold move that was initially met with skepticism.
“They were controversial,” said John Voelcker, contributing editor at Car and Driver. “It took a while for people to get over it. But it was smart — it’s harder to make your truck distinctive, and a front end that no one else has is a good thing.”
That distinct look, once polarizing, has since become Rivian’s visual signature. It helps the company stand out in a crowded EV market dominated by aerodynamic sameness — while reinforcing its “adventure-first” identity.
Scaling Amid Challenges
Rivian’s creative energy comes at a time of financial strain. The automaker faces weakening EV demand, rising production costs, and the loss of federal EV tax credits for some models. Still, the company continues to build toward long-term scale.
Rivian recently broke ground on a new $5 billion factory in Georgia, designed to produce up to 400,000 vehicles annually once fully operational.
“We’re first launching R2 in Illinois, but Georgia is where we’ll scale global production,” CEO RJ Scaringe told CNBC.
The Road Ahead
For Rivian, design has never been just about aesthetics — it’s about storytelling. From its first angular truck bed to the instantly recognizable headlights, every vehicle is meant to signal innovation, capability, and independence.
As the company moves toward the launch of R2 and R3, it’s betting that those same design principles — clean, functional, and bold — will help it capture the next generation of EV buyers looking for adventure beyond the ordinary.
