Why it's so hard to picture a Rivian in black or white

Fast Company

05-05-2025

When the electric car startup Rivian was set to release its first vehicle in late 2021, the company made the unconventional choice. Instead of a more conventional neutral tone, it manufactured a significant amount of its initial production run in a custom color the company called Launch Green. It was a decision that ran counter to almost every color trend and automotive industry sales report, and one that's come to shape the way the company builds out one of the most unique color palettes in the car business.
'Everybody buys black, white, or gray. Pretty much every single brand, they're going to have that. And it doesn't matter if you're in the U.S., you're in China, you're in Europe, that's what it is,' says Jeff Hammoud, Rivian's chief design officer. 'Those are the ones that people order. But they're not the ones that create the most buzz or excitement.'
Launch Green, marketed as a limited run for the company's R1T truck, bucked the trends and rose near the top of color rankings among Rivian fans and buyers. The Rivian forum on Reddit had such a heated debate over Launch Green's merit that its moderator pinned a note to the top of the comments thread stating that it had been reported by some users for 'incorrectly' placing Launch Green in second place. 'I understand that many of you feel personally victimized by Launch Green not being #1. I encourage you to take a break from the internet or talk to a loved one for support,' the note read. Though the company doesn't break down its sales figures publicly, Launch Green was immediately popular. Despite being a limited run, customers still ask for it nearly five years later.
Colors that look good dirty
Considering the approach validated, the company has since put an uncommon amount of effort into its color palette, not only creating unique custom colors but also making those colors an extension of Rivian's adventure-centric, California-inspired brand. From L.A. Silver to El Cap Granite to Red Canyon to Storm Blue, Rivian's paint options purposely lean into an outdoorsy theme. The company just announced another limited edition paint and trim package, California Dune, a pale sand color that evokes off-roading in the desert.
'We wanted something that like looked crisp and clean and premium,' Hammoud says. 'If it's dirty you can't really tell. It's not this car that you feel like you constantly have to clean, like a black car.'
Rivian does offer its vehicles in black—'Midnight' in the company's parlance—but only reluctantly. Hammoud says Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe doesn't like black, which he finds to be 'not an optimistic color' and one that's not exactly on brand. 'But,' Hammoud says, 'customers love it.'
For some, Rivian's colors may just look like slightly different versions of a blue or red that any other car company might use. But according to Hammoud, Rivian's colors have been carefully developed to reflect a spirit of adventure, while also being bespoke to the brand. 'We want it to have that warmth that our brand has, and also something that invites you to get it dirty,' he says.
That approach to color has become so ingrained in the brand's approach that Rivian hired its own in-house paint specialist, enabling it to develop new color options faster. Even so, adding new colors to the palette—there have been 12 so far—requires a significant investment of time and coordination with suppliers. 'The fascias, the mirrors, the door handles, parts of the liftgates, none of those are actually painted at our plant,' Hammoud says. 'So we have to work with all these different suppliers to essentially take that same color and make sure it matches identical.'
Adding a new color can take years, but Hammoud says that limited color runs can happen much faster, since the company's manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, can swap a color into the production line for a short time before returning to a more standard color. Bringing a new color like California Dune into the lineup for a limited run is another way for the company to generate some brand buzz. 'It's a fun and I wouldn't say easy but a light lift for us to be able to go and add freshness to the vehicle by offering a new color,' Hammoud says.
Rivian is also careful about when to take a color out of the lineup. One discontinued color, Compass Yellow, had consistently high Net Promoter Scores, a measure of how likely a customer is to recommend a product to others. 'People were the most passionate about that color and Red Canyon, which are really low take rates for us,' Hammoud says. Though the yellow was dropped from the lineup, the red is still available.
These color choices are partly driven by sales figures and customer demand, but Hammoud says the company's overall approach to color is more closely tied to the adventurous image it's trying to create with its off-road-ready truck and SUV models. The company pays attention to color trends in the automotive world, but isn't concerned with simply keeping pace with competitors. 'Everything we do from a color standpoint is influenced by the types of products that we think align with our brand, align with our customers. And a lot of that starts from outdoor adventure gear, footwear, backpacks,' Hammoud says. This extends to other sides of Rivian design, like the brand's distinctive headlights, which were inspired by a rock climbing carabiner.
But Hammoud says color may be one of the most important elements of Rivian's vehicles. 'Color is a big part of purchase consideration for people,' he says. Ultimately the cars are products, and the company is trying to sell them. Color, he argues, helps make the cars more distinctive, which leads to more customer interest, and maybe a foothold in a crowded marketplace.
'Finding inspiration from outside of automotive is a big part of it,' Hammoud says. 'If you don't do that, you're just going to feel like you're every other car brand.'