Understanding Rivian’s Electric Revolution: A Guide to the R2S & R2T Models

Rivian, the new American automaker producing “electric adventure vehicles,” is still busy ramping up production on its R1T electric truck and R1S SUV , but they’re also looking ahead to the future. I’m talking about the Rivian R2 platform, which promises to deliver smaller yet highly capable EVs starting at $40,000.

First things first, the Rivian R2 isn’t necessarily a replacement for the R1 series. Instead, it’ll be an all-new platform with different sizing targeting buyers at a lower price point. That said, every automaker is working on making high-end electric vehicles more affordable, and here’s what you need to know.

Rivian R2 Release Date

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

With the Rivian R1T still slowly arriving to buyers and other customers taking delivery of the R1S all-electric SUV, which is still far behind production and has thousands of pre-orders that need to be filled, the R2 platform might seem forever away. However, the company isn’t wasting time improving its manufacturing process and technology, cutting costs, and ramping production to release more mass-market vehicles.

Details are still a bit blurry, but Rivian has said its all-new R2 platform will be revealed in 2024, and that production may not begin until sometime in late 2025 or early 2026. But given how fast the industry is moving, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the company fast-track those plans to hit the 2025 launch window.

The bigger question for potential buyers is which model will arrive first, the R2T or R2S? So far, all signs point to a smaller, compact, more affordable R2S that’ll take on Tesla, Chevrolet, and others in the EV space. Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe recently confirmed that the company is prioritizing production of the R1S over the R1T, as its SUV has a higher demand. That leads us to believe it’ll launch a new R2S SUV first, which could help the company capture more market share and sell additional units.

In fact, during a recent Q&A session on Instagram, which was uploaded to YouTube , the company gave us our first teaser of the R2 platform. As you can see from the photo below, it’s a smaller SUV, which one can assume is the R2S. Overall, it looks similar in design, with that familiar tough and boxy design. It’s not uncommon for manufacturers to add extra trim or body paneling to conceal design elements, so don’t read into it too much.

If all goes according to plan, we could see the new and improved Rivian R2S arrive near the end of 2025, followed by the R2T electric pickup.

Rivian R2T and R2S Pricing

Rivian / YouTube

Rivian teasing its new R2S electric SUV.

As we all know, electric vehicles aren’t all that affordable yet . However, that’s precisely the goal of the new Rivian R2 platform. While the current Rivian R1T starts around $73,000 and the R1S will set you back at least $78,000 (before destination fees ), we’re hearing new R2 models could come in between $40,000 and $60,000. We’re expecting similar trim levels to current offerings, starting with the Adventure Edition, Adventure All-Terrain, and something similar to the high-end Launch Edition.

Over the summer, Rivian CFO Claire McDonough shared a few comments at a Deutsche Bank conference and reaffirmed those price targets, which is certainly promising. If the company can deliver a high-end R2S for close to $40,000, it’ll give Tesla’s Model Y a run for its money.

Rivian R2 Platform: Potential Specs

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Rivian vehicles are extremely capable both on and off-road. They have luxurious interiors, big infotainment screens with loads of driving and camp modes , and speedy 0–60mph times. Unfortunately, some of those performance numbers and long-range battery packs might suffer in the push for affordability. CEO Scaringe went on record and said the R2 platform would have to make sacrifices, but we’re not sure what those are.

Considering the new Rivian R2 platform is still a work in progress, with an unveiling not expected until sometime in 2024, we don’t have any information on the motor, powertrain, range, charging speeds, or any of the other fancy features of the Rivian R1T . Still, we expect battery advancements, dual electric motors, maybe a tri-motor option, and all-wheel drive configurations. Rivian will likely aim for 300–330 miles of range, give or take a few, depending on the package.

The company recently confirmed its latest in-house designed dual-motor models equipped with the max battery pack get over 400 miles per charge . And while that’s great, expect smaller battery packages on the R2 platform to achieve a lower MSRP. We’ll update this article as more information emerges about the Rivian R2 and its specs.

Taking on Tesla (And Others)

Rivian

We mentioned the Tesla Model Y earlier, as it’s currently one of the best-selling vehicles in the world. That’s due to an excellent design, user-friendly features, and a somewhat affordable price point . Well, for a luxury electric SUV. However, in the coming months, it’ll have stiff competition from the new Chevrolet Blazer EV, Equinox EV , and the new Rivian R2S, eventually.

If Rivian can scale up production to its goal of 150,000 units or more per year by 2025, all while delivering an affordable Rivian R2 platform, it’ll be well-positioned to take on the electrified competition.

The goal is to lower costs, improve profitability, and provide excellent adventure vehicles for the masses. In closing, Rivian says the R2 platform will help expand its portfolio “globally across different price points and form factors.” suggesting the R2S and R2T are just the first two of many new models.