A small SUV with a price tag of between $40,000 and $60,000 should not appear until 2026.
Rivian is going to make the R2 public on March 7th. This information was confirmed by the corporation on Monday through a post on X (Twitter), which stated that users should “get ready to meet R2 on March 7th.” The Chief Executive Officer of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, has stated that the next-generation platform would be more compact and less expensive than the R1 series.
The automobile manufacturer has not yet disclosed the location of the event; however, it is quite likely that it will take place in Laguna Beach, California. In its minutes from the previous month, the city council of this city made a public announcement that it had granted permission for a “Rivian R2 Launch,” which was to be a part of a “worldwide product launch event at the Rivian Theater” on the same date. Rivian’s X teaser contained music of waves crashing, beachgoers playing, and seagulls squawking, as if that wasn’t enough of a clue to give away.
It has been claimed that representatives from Rivian intend to play the event in the Rivian South Coast Theater, which is located in Laguna Beach. The automaker purchased the theater in 2021, and then proceeded to renovate it and reopen it in December of this year. The theater had first opened its doors in 1937 and had closed in 2015. A grassy public space close to the theater was the location of the company’s request for permission to display six automobiles. This location seems like it would be perfect for a media hands-on area following a formal presentation that took place inside.
This is it. Get ready to meet R2 on March 7th. pic.twitter.com/N2CKDTTZ5I
— Rivian (@Rivian) February 5, 2024
It is anticipated that the R2 platform would begin with a more compact SUV (reportedly with dimensions comparable to those of a Jeep Grand Cherokee) that will be priced in the range of $40,000 to $60,000. When it comes to the R1 platform, vehicles begin at approximately $80,000; however, certain versions are available for leasing, which makes them eligible for a tax credit of $7,500 in its entirety.
Last year, during a question and answer session on Instagram, Scaringe revealed that the anticipated delivery date of the vehicle had been moved from 2025 to 2026. Therefore, unless Rivian’s plans have undergone significant changes since then, you should anticipate that the event in March will precede a lengthy waitlist time before you will be able to take one home. The development of Rivian’s planned facility in Georgia, which will be responsible for the production of the R2 lineup, has not initiated yet.
As the electric car manufacturer prepares its brand for an all-electric future, Rivian incurs a loss of approximately $31,000 for each R1 platform vehicle that it manufactures. Because the carmaker is working to transition into a profitable position, it is anticipated that the R2 will be more efficient (with more accessible pricing). Late in the year 2023, the chief executive officer of the company announced that subsequent to the expiration of its four-year exclusivity agreement with Amazon, the company was in discussions with a “pipeline” of commercial customers for its electric vans. Despite this, it is still committed to meeting the terms of its deal with Amazon, which stipulates that it would deliver one hundred thousand vans to the online retailer by the year 2030.