EV brand Rivian is off to a strong start with the adventure-themed R1T pickup and R1S SUV. Having an R1 platform, of course, implies there will be an R2 platform. And Rivian just provided more detail on what R2 will look like and when it will arrive.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Rivian R2 platform
Rivian R2 vehicles will be more affordable
R2 won’t be a replacement for R1. Rivian will be targeting a new buyer at a lower price point. Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe noted earlier this year that R2 would be a lower-cost platform. Speaking at a Deutsche Bank conference, Rivian's CFO Claire McDonough provided further detail, noting that Rivian would target a $40,000 to $60,000 price range for the R2 vehicles.
Rivian's R2 vehicles may be a more direct challenge to Tesla
Car and Driver expects the first R2 vehicle to launch will be a compact SUV, smaller than the R1S. Rivian just announced it would prioritize R1S production over the R1T due to the greater demand for the SUV. A $40,000 to $60,000 price point would put the Rivian R2 vehicle in direct competition with the Tesla Model Y, currently the world's best-selling vehicle.
Lower cost likely means less capability
Rivian's R1 vehicles can do everything, delivering extreme off-road capability, sports car-like on-road capability, a reasonably luxurious interior and more than 300 miles of electric range. Rivian will have to scale some of those features back to get to a lower price point. Scaringe noted the R2 platform would have to make sacrifices, but the brand has not detailed how it will play out. The vehicles should still likely have an adventurous bent and maintain the Rivian design aesthetic.
Rivian offered a sneak peek at the R2
During an "ask Rivian" session online, Scaringe showed off a clay model of what appears to be an R2 platform SUV under a tarp.
When will the Rivian R2 vehicles arrive?
We could meet the Rivian R2 in the reasonably near future. McDonough suggested that the design for the R2 was at or near completion. The current timeline is for Rivian to reveal R2 in early 2024. But the vehicles themselves won’t arrive until 2026 as Rivian continues to scale up production for the R1 and R2.
