Rivian builds the R2, a compact electric SUV
The 2027 Rivian R2 is a five-seat electric SUV that is a make-or-break project for EV startups looking for a mainstream market.
- Rivian has postponed the release of its electric SUV R2 until 2027.
- The R2 is expected to be more affordable starting at around $45,000.
- Company officials believe the R2 is essential to Rivian’s long-term success as a mass-market automaker.
Rivian has postponed the release of its next electric SUV, the R2, which starts at about $45,000, which company officials say is critical to its long-term future as a viable automaker.
The Irvine, California-based company announced in a post on its website that its most affordable model, an electric SUV, will be available in 2027. Rivian previously said the R2 would go on sale in the first half of 2026.
The news comes after Rivian announced in an XPost on May 15 that a configurator for the R2 is live on its website, allowing visitors to “investigate paint colors, interior wheels, and more” for the new car’s release in 2027.
What you need to know about R2
The R2 is expected to start at around $45,000 and be released in 2027.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe appeared on the podcast “On with Kara Swisher” on January 29 and said R2 is important to the company’s plans to scale up to become a mass-market electric car maker.
“Rivian isn’t just designed for R1,” Scaringe said. “If the goal was to build a company that only produced 15,000 cars a year, it would be a very different business. But we have invested seriously in the business and have thought and planned for Rivian to become a much larger company. So R2 needs to be successful in supporting the speed of capital construction of the business, depending on how much technology we develop and how much infrastructure we build.”
What are people saying about R2?
In its review of the R2 prototype it drove, Car and Driver said the EV is “powered by permanent magnet electric motors on each axle, producing a total output of 656 horsepower and 609 pound-feet of torque.”
“The ride quality is a bit more refined than the R1S; the tires don’t have to operate at as high pressures to support the mass, and the lower body height reduces the feeling of how much the vehicle rolls in corners,” the website says. “And yes, turn the corner.”
The website InsideEVs.com said in a review published after taking an independent test drive of the R2 prototype that the electric SUV has “more than 300 miles of range, 656 horsepower, 609 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds.”
“This is a serious situation for a family SUV that not only competes with the ubiquitous Tesla Model Y, but also potentially competes with mainstream gas-powered crossovers,” the website says.
