Rivian has started handing over the first R2 crossovers to customers, roughly eighteen months after the compact SUV was unveiled. The R2 is smaller, lighter and considerably cheaper than the R1S, and it is the vehicle Rivian is counting on to turn the company into a high-volume automaker rather than a niche one.
Why the R2 Matters
Rivian has spent years building the R1S and R1T in low volumes at a plant in Illinois, both priced well above $70,000. The R2 is built on a new, simplified platform designed specifically to cut manufacturing cost, and it is the first Rivian meant to compete directly with mainstream crossovers rather than luxury trucks.
What You Get at $45,000
- An estimated 300 miles of range on the standard dual-motor version
- A quad-motor performance variant arriving in 2027
- Rivian’s own NACS charge port with Tesla Supercharger access built in
- A 12.7-inch touchscreen paired with a redesigned driver display
Availability
Early reservation holders in North America are receiving delivery windows first, with broader ordering set to open before the end of the year. Rivian says international shipments, including to Europe, will follow once domestic production stabilizes at its Georgia plant.
