The Rivian R2 will build out the brand’s lineup into smaller and more affordable territory.
Even as electric automaker Rivian ramps up production and deliveries of its R1 series, including the R1S SUV and R1T pickup, it’s readying its next big consumer debut. We’ve known for awhile that the company is working on its next EV after launching the R1 and the EDV van for Amazon, and now it appears it is about ready to show us at least an early version of the R2 SUV that will most likely ship out to customers by 2026.
Rivian shared a short post to Twitter/X Monday confirming the date:
An earlier report also locked down the reveal location from an unlikely source. The city council of Laguna Beach, California met to discuss approving a request by Rivian to host an “R2 launch” event at a park. That information tracks well with the company CFO Claire McDonough’s claim, as she announced further details, including the R2’s imminent debut this year, prior to a calendar year 2026 on-sale date.
We don’t know too terribly much with certainty about the Rivian R2 at the moment. Basically, we can make some educated guesses based on the R1S, including a fairly chunky, boxy design language and at least some off-road capability. This being a smaller, more affordable vehicle, though, Rivian may pitch this more as an all-around lifestyle vehicle, whether folks are looking to head out camping or stick to the urban jungle. McDonough noted the R2 “leans on the brand and ethos of what the R1 has started,” suggesting we’ll see some familiar flavor, even if Rivian takes some steps to set its smaller offering apart.
To make a lower price point — the current consensus is between $40,000 at the low end and $60,000 for higher-end R2 models — it’s likely Rivian will make some trade-offs to keep costs under control. While the R1 has been a great technical showcase for what Rivian can do, it’s up for the R2 to reach the masses and really put Rivian on the map as a volume player. To make that happen, it needs to compete with the Tesla Model Y (among so many others) on price and capability.
We’ll see what Rivian has up its sleeve next month, though I also hope the company can actually get the car to market faster than that two-year time frame. Time waits for no one, and the competition is getting fiercer by the day.
