Rivian will reveal the R2 on March 7. The corporate confirmed on Monday in a put up on X (Twitter) that clients ought to “prepare to fulfill R2 on March seventh.” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe beforehand stated the next-generation platform can be smaller and cheaper than the R1 lineup.
The automaker hasn’t but stated the place the occasion will happen, however it should all however definitely be in Laguna Seashore, CA. Final month, its metropolis council publicly posted an accredited request in its minutes for a “Rivian R2 Launch,” a part of a “worldwide product launch occasion on the Rivian Theater” on the identical date. If that wasn’t sufficient of a clue, Rivian’s X teaser included audio of waves crashing, beachgoers taking part in and seagulls squawking.
Rivian representatives reportedly plan to carry the occasion on the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Seashore. The automaker purchased the cinema (which opened in 1937 and closed in 2015) in 2021 earlier than renovating and reopening it this previous December. The corporate requested the council for permission to show six autos on a grassy public space close to the theater, which sounds ideally suited for a media hands-on space after a proper presentation inside.
The R2 platform is anticipated to begin with a smaller SUV (reportedly in regards to the dimension of a Jeep Grand Cherokee) priced within the $40,000 to $60,000 vary. R1 platform autos begin at round $80,000, though some fashions are out there for leasing, which makes them eligible for a full $7,500 tax credit score.
When Scaringe held an Instagram Q&A final 12 months, he stated the automobile’s anticipated supply date had slipped from 2025 to 2026. So, until Rivian’s plans have modified dramatically since then, anticipate the March occasion to precede an extended waitlist interval earlier than you possibly can take one dwelling. Rivian nonetheless hasn’t began building on an upcoming Georgia manufacturing facility that may produce the R2 lineup.
Rivian loses about $31,000 on each R1 platform automobile it makes because the EV maker positions its model for an all-electric future. The R2 is anticipated to be extra environment friendly (with extra accessible pricing) because the automaker tries to pivot into profitability. The corporate’s CEO stated in late 2023 that it was chatting with a “pipeline” of industrial clients for its electrical vans after its four-year exclusivity settlement with Amazon ended. Nonetheless, it nonetheless plans to satisfy its contract with Amazon, which requires the supply of 100,000 vans to the net retailer by 2030.
