The Rivian R2 is 2 years away, however with the debut of an R2S in prototype type Thursday, it’s clear this electrical SUV will arrive with a proposition in contrast to any EV but: A boxy silhouette, rugged off-road chops, a variety simply topping 300 miles, and a goal value successfully beneath at the moment’s common new-vehicle value, whatever the gasoline.
Rivian is concentrating on an entry value of $45,000 for the R2, which with potential qualification for the EV tax credit score, would make it lower than $40,000 for a lot of American households.
Rivian R2S
The R2 is 185.6 inches lengthy, 75.0 inches large, and 66.9 inches tall, which implies it takes up about the identical parking footprint because the Tesla Mannequin Y however is three inches taller—with a really totally different, boxier type.
By the essential specs, the R2 seems to be very aggressive in efficiency, vary, and effectivity versus different electrical crossovers that make tradeoffs for a silhouette that’s extra aero-informed. Rivian guarantees a variety of over 300 miles from a battery produced from 4695 cells. It is going to be obtainable with a single rear motor, a dual-motor, or twi-motor powertrain with the latter placing an electrical motor on the entrance axle and two on the rear. A Tesla NACS cost port permitting entry each to Tesla Superchargers and Rivian’s personal Journey Community is predicted to be customary. It’s additionally concentrating on 0-60 mph acceleration in lower than 3.0 seconds.
On the skin, the R2 seems to be like a Rivian. Which means carrying over a lot of its look—together with the model id of its distinctive vertical headlights—from the R1S, however sharpening the look a bit by emphasizing the squared-off corners and chamfers that seem like the state of vogue for SUVs within the mid-2020s.
The R2 has 9.8 inches of floor clearance—excess of any crossover SUVs you would possibly evaluate it to—and method and departure angles are exceptionally good, at 25 and 27 levels, respectively. That hints of off-road skill that would make this EV a strong rival to electrical off-roaders additionally on the best way from Jeep.
Rivian R2S
If the R2 doesn’t go game-changing on the skin, it’s inside the place the innovation occurs. Each the primary and second row of seats fold flat. Rivian’s given the R2 two gloveboxes.
The R2 rides on a platform that may leverage economies of scale in a approach the R1 lineup hasn’t As the corporate has stated at numerous occasions, the R2 can also be sized the best way it’s to permit world market entrance for Rivian, because the R1S and R1T are just too giant for some markets comparable to Europe.
Rivian plans to construct as much as 400,000 automobiles yearly off the R2’s platform out of its upcoming Georgia plant, along with the 150,000-vehicle most it has at its present Illinois plant. Initially R2 will enter manufacturing in Rivian’s present plant in Regular, Illinois.
At face worth, the R2 seems to be like an important market alternative to grab. Household SUVs with extra of a rugged tack, just like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and even Ford Explorer, used to promote within the a whole lot of hundreds yearly. With the gross sales of these fashions usurped partly by the Mannequin Y, possibly it’s time for a brand new household mainstay.
Will the R2 be Rivian’s Mannequin 3 second? We’ll quickly see after at the moment, when reservations are because of open.