Rivian Reveals the Smaller R2 To Widen Their Reach

[Drew Dowdell]

Expanding its offerings today, Rivian unveiled the Rivian R2, expected to go on sale in early 2026.  This new model rides on a new platform and is smaller than its big brother, the Rivian R1, by nearly 15 inches in length and 12 inches in height. The first question and second questions on people's minds when revealing a new electric vehicle are cost and range.  In this, the Rivian R2 will come to market with an expected $45,000 base price and an EV range of 300 - 320 miles, depending on the configuration.  Rivian is expected to enable Tesla Supercharger access in the next few weeks, more than doubling the number of charging plugs available to Rivian drivers, and the R2 will ship with the Tesla-designed NACS port natively.

While this is a new platform, Rivian was careful to keep the details familial. The R2 will be built, at least initially, at Rivian's Normal, Illinois plant to enable a faster ramp-up for 2026, though production could move to Rivian's new plant in Georgia once that comes online. Unlike the R1, which is available in dual- or quad-motor configurations, the R2 will be available as a single-motor rear-wheel drive, a dual-motor all-wheel drive, and a tri-motor all-wheel drive.  In top spec, the R2 is capable of sprinting to 60 in under 3 seconds. Every version of the R2 will have at least 300 miles of range.  Exact charging speeds haven't been released, but Rivian claims charging from 10-percent to 80-percent will take less than 30 minutes on a DC-Fast Charger. You can see in the Rivian R2 size compared to the Rivian R1S to the left, there is a significant difference in size between the two vehicles. (Click image to enlarge)

The R2 gets some neat features not on the Rivian R1. One of the main bits of feedback Rivian received about the R1 was over the lack of a glovebox, and Rivian overcompensated in the R2, with not one, but two gloveboxes. The rear window can lower into the hatch like in a Toyota 4-Runner and the rear C-panel windows pop out for additional ventilation. All four seats, yes, including the driver's seat, fold flat to allow for an in-vehicle camping experience.

Keeping with their adventure theme, the R2 has some off-road credible specs with 9.8 inches of ground clearance, 32-inch tires, a 25-degree approach angle, and 27-degrees of departure angle.

Rivian also had a "... and one more thing" moment and unveiled the Rivian R3, an even smaller crossover based on the R2. Be sure to check out the Rivian R3 story also.

Reservations for the Rivian R2 are open now at Rivian.com

 

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[ccap41]

I love it. It's probably the perfect size for us and I still dig the soft boxy shape.

[Paolino]

I really do love the interior.

[smk4565]

Potential home run if they really do charge $45,000 for it and it gets the $7500 tax credit.  Then we are talking $37,500 starting price, that will undercut a well equipped Ford Escape or Toyota Rav4.   But not available until 2026?  2 years away so I wont' be surprised if the price is $50k by the time it comes out because all these companies oversell the base MSRP then the price skyrockets.

[David]

29 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Potential home run if they really do charge $45,000 for it and it gets the $7500 tax credit.  Then we are talking $37,500 starting price, that will undercut a well equipped Ford Escape or Toyota Rav4.   But not available until 2026?  2 years away so I wont' be surprised if the price is $50k by the time it comes out because all these companies oversell the base MSRP then the price skyrockets.

Your acting as if Rivian is Tesla. Yes they over promised, under delivered in their initial EV, but I think they have this pretty well sorted out. Will be interesting to see what the price is in 2026, could be less as battery prices drop.

Sadly Rivian is a NO GO for me as any auto I purchase has to support Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

[smk4565]

3 minutes ago, David said:

Your acting as if Rivian is Tesla. Yes they over promised, under delivered in their initial EV, but I think they have this pretty well sorted out. Will be interesting to see what the price is in 2026, could be less as battery prices drop.

Sadly Rivian is a NO GO for me as any auto I purchase has to support Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

Not just Tesla, but the F150 Lightning and Silverado EV were going to be $40k, then were like $70k.  The Ford Maverick was $19,995 promised and is now about $25k with destination.  Car companies like to create buzz at a launch, and promise one thing, then deliver another.    

[Drew Dowdell]

I ended up putting a reservation deposit down for the R2 for Albert. I'm iffy on the no-carplay part, but he's pretty low tech, so as long as there is a music solution for him, he'll be fine.

[surreal1272]

Nice ride and a sweet spot size for a lot of folks but it most certainly will not start at $45K by the time it comes out in 2026. I am done putting stock into future prices put out by car companies because NOT ONE has actually come at the price promised.