TL;DRRivian began delivering R2 SUVs on Tuesday, targeting 20,000-25,000 by year-end as it bets on fewer US EV competitors and a path to robotaxis.
Rivian began handing over the first R2 SUVs to paying customers on Tuesday, opening a new chapter for a company that has burned through billions of dollars trying to prove it can build electric vehicles at scale. The R2 starts at $57,990 for the Performance trim with Launch Package, considerably above the $45,000 price point Rivian teased when it revealed the vehicle in 2024. A sub-$50,000 version is not expected until 2027, and an entry-level model at roughly $45,000 is planned for later that year, meaning the R2’s most accessible configurations remain unavailable at a time when affordable EVs are disappearing from the US market.
Rivian is targeting 20,000 to 25,000 R2 deliveries by the end of 2026, a figure that would make it one of the fastest-scaling EV launches in US history if achieved, according to the company. Production has begun at the company’s factory in Normal, Illinois, on a single shift, with a second shift planned for the second half of the year. The company’s total 2026 delivery guidance of 62,000 to 67,000 vehicles implies that R1 and commercial van volumes will remain roughly flat at around 42,000 units, with the R2 carrying the growth.
