- Rivian has officially kicked off production of the R2 this week.
- The automaker says that deliveries will begin later this spring.
- Those who reserved an R2 will be invited to configure their vehicles starting in June.
The Rivian R2 has finally entered production, the company announced on Wednesday. Just days after a tornado tore off part of the roof in the section of its Normal, Illinois, factory that is dedicated to R2 production, the automaker haa actual customer cars rolling off the line.
In a blog post, Rivian said it is "on track" for customer deliveries to begin later this spring.
"As these first vehicles undergo their final quality and validation checks internally, our focus is sharpening toward the next big horizon: public customer deliveries," Rivian said.
Rivian CFO Claire McDonough told Reuters that customers will receive their invitations to configure their R2s beginning in June.
Deliveries of the Model-Y-sized crossover will begin with the Launch Edition of the R2 Performance. This $57,990 trim packs a 3.6-second zero-to-60 MPH sprint thanks to its dual-motors pumping out 656 horsepower, and a competent 330 miles of range. It also gets semi-active suspension, rear drop glass, dynamic lighting, and other creature comforts.
Rivian will launch a lower-cost Premium trim in late 2026 for $53,990, followed by its R2 Standard (priced at $48,490) in the first half of 2027. Its promised $45,000 model won't arrive until late 2027, Rivian has said.
By that time, Rivian's cost savings on the R2 is expected to be substantial. In fact, McDonough says that once the R2 reaches its full production run rate, it will cost Rivian half as much to build as the R1.
The R2 is a big deal for Rivian. This is the model that's supposed to elevate the startup from being a niche lifestyle EV brand with expensive trucks to a car company with mass-market relevance. In many ways, this moment feels reminiscent of Tesla during its ramp-up phase of the Model 3 and Model Y.
If Rivian can pull it off without service or quality hiccups, the brand has a very real opportunity to become the next big name in the EV space. Either way, the next few weeks will be interesting to watch as the first cars begin to land in customer driveways.
