Rivian Starts R2 Shipments at $58,000, Chasing a Mass-Market EV Breakthrough
Updated
Updated · Heatmap · Jun 3
Rivian Starts R2 Shipments at $58,000, Chasing a Mass-Market EV Breakthrough
3 articles · Updated · Heatmap · Jun 3
Summary
$58,000 R2 deliveries began Tuesday, giving Rivian its first lower-priced SUV after years selling R1 models that start around $70,000.
The five-seat R2 is about 2,000 pounds lighter than the R1S, offers high-200-mile to 330-mile range, and is meant to broaden Rivian's appeal before a planned $45,000 base version arrives later.
Rivian is also using R2 to expand hands-free driving to roughly 3.5 million U.S. miles, with point-to-point autonomy targeted by year-end and robotaxi ambitions tied to Uber's $1.2 billion investment.
The launch is a make-or-break moment for a company backed by Volkswagen and Amazon, as Rivian tries to move beyond startup losses and scale production.
A successful R2 could also help a slowing U.S. EV market by adding a fresh ground-up electric SUV as aging Tesla models and affordability pressures weigh on demand.