2026 Rivian R2: Everything We Know
Rivian has proved it can make a compelling, luxurious, capable electric SUV that consumers love. Its next task is more significant: Build one that most people can afford.
That’s where the 2026 Rivian R2 comes in. The new R2 is a compact electric SUV, similar in size to the Tesla Model Y, with an eventual starting price of around $45,000 and at least 300 miles of range—although the initial Launch Edition trim is almost certain to be more expensive. If Rivian can hit these targets while keeping it as adventurous and stylish as the R1, it’ll have plenty of potential customers.
I know because I’m one of them. I’ve already reserved an R2, and if the company can deliver the features I want at the right price, I’ll buy one. But there are plenty of unanswered questions. Here’s what we know so far.
This story originally ran in 2024 and was updated in January 2026.
Why Is The Rivian R2 Important?
The Rivian R2 is entering the compact crossover segment, the most competitive and important segment in the American passenger-car market. Internal combustion (ICE) compact crossovers like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Equinox are their brands’ top-selling models and among the best-selling cars in America. The appeal for this segment is not limited to ICE models in the U.S. Even with renewed competition, the Tesla Model Y is still an incredibly strong seller across the world.
Rivian R2 Live Impressions New York City
That global relevance is key to the Rivian R2. The bigger R1S is a helluva truck for American roads, but its large size and blunt nose make it a poor fit for Europe and other size-conscious markets. Rivian has yet to offer the R1T or R1S outside of North America. That looks like it’ll be the R2’s job.
The R2 is smaller, more pedestrian-friendly, cheaper, and has a charging door in the right rear of the vehicle that’s better suited for curbside charging. All of this makes it a better fit for Europe, where Rivian wants to expand. Rivian Design Chief Jeff Hammoud even told me it was designed to be more repairable in an accident, a key factor for European insurance rates and a weak spot for the current R1.
So the R2 is cheaper than the R1, plays in a much hotter segment and will be available in many more markets. Finally, in the U.S., it’ll be the first Rivian with native support for Tesla’s North American Charging System (NACS) plug, giving it adapter-free access to over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers.
It’s Rivian’s entry into the world of true mass-market appeal. No wonder the company is prepared to build up to 155,000 per year.
What’s The Latest On The Rivian R2?
As of this writing, the R2 is set to debut soon. Initial deliveries will start in the spring of 2026, the automaker says.
Rivian R2 Manufacturing Validation Build
Photo by: Rivian
Rivian recently finalized the manufacturing validation builds—essentially advanced pre-production vehicles meant for testing—out of its Illinois factory. Those EVs are meant to test factory equipment and manufacturing processes to ensure the company is ready for mass production with as few issues as possible.
Some of those camouflaged vehicles have been on a cross-country testing road trip as of late. You may even see one on the road soon.
Rivian R2 Release Date
Again, Rivian says the R2 will enter production in the first half of 2026, although the company specifically calls out a spring release date. They will initially be built at Rivian’s existing production facility in Normal, Illinois. The plan was originally to build them all at a new facility in Georgia, but Rivian back-burnered construction of the Georgia plant to conserve cash and get the R2 out sooner.
Rivian R2: Pricing
Rivian says on its site that R2 will start at $45,000 and it has mentioned that number often.
Yet the superscript next to the number directs consumers to a footnote, where it adds an important disclaimer: “Actual pricing may vary. Additional taxes and fees will apply based on location.” Taxes and fees are normal and do vary, but Rivian’s also giving itself wiggle room in case that $45,000 price target becomes hard to realize. The company clearly hasn’t finalized its pricing strategy, surveying customers about how much they’d theoretically pay for different theoretical configurations.
We do expect the $45,000 to potentially arrive at a later date, while initial and more well-equipped Launch Vehicles are likely to be more expensive.
Two important factors will also affect pricing. First, the R2 will be offered in single-motor rear-wheel-drive, dual-motor all-wheel-drive and tri-motor AWD configurations. You can safely bet that the $45,000 price target applies to the rear-wheel-drive model.
If you want AWD—and consumers in this segment usually do—you’ll likely have to pay more. Unfortunately, the R2 will no longer benefit from the $7,500 EV tax credit in America.
Rivian R2 Size Comparison
The Rivian R2 rides on an all-new midsize EV architecture; it is not mechanically related to the R1 models. The platform will be shared with the smaller Rivian R3. It’s roughly equivalent in size to compact electric crossovers like the Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The R2 is 185.6 inches long, 66.9 inches tall, 75 inches wide and has a 115.5-inch wheelbase. For reference, the Model Y is 187 inches long, 64 inches tall, 75.6 inches wide and has a 113.8-inch wheelbase. The Mach-E is 186 inches long, 64 inches tall, 75 inches wide and has a 117.5-inch wheelbase.
So the Rivian is slightly shorter in length but taller in height than its two best-selling competitors. Its wheelbase is longer than the Tesla’s and shorter than the Mach-E’s and has less overall width than the Tesla. All of this contributes to its boxy, upright shape.
Rivian R2 Competitors
The Rivian R2 enters a crowded segment. And Rivian CEO RJ has said he intends for it to compete with ICE-powered cars, too.
On the EV side, it will run with the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Volkswagen ID.4, Chevy Equinox EV, Toyota bZ and more. Of those, we often recommend the Hyundai, Tesla and Chevy above the rest, so make sure to take a look at those cars if you can’t wait for your preferred trim of R2 to arrive.
Rivian R2 Specs
The Rivian R2 will be available in single-, dual- and tri-motor variations. Single-motor SUVs will be rear-wheel drive, while the latter two configurations will be all-wheel drive. Rivian says there will be two larger battery sizes, which will deliver over 300 miles of EPA-cycle range.
Rivian has not announced a breakdown of ranges by trim and has not shared the battery pack option with what motor configuration will be available. I’d expect the company to offer a cheaper Single-Standard model with the smaller pack, and then Single Large, Dual Large and Tri Large options.
Photo by: Rivian
Rivian claims the tri-motor R2 will do 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds. I’d expect significantly slower acceleration for single-motor models.
Rivian also claims that the R2 will charge from 10-80% in under 30 minutes on a DC fast charger. However, while we know that the R2 will use new “4695” battery cells, we do not believe it will use an 800-volt electrical architecture. Rivian says the battery pack is structural, which should decrease cost and increase passenger space.
Rivian R2 Design & Interior
Inside and out, the R2 looks similar to the R1S. That’s a good thing, considering that the R1S is one of the best-looking SUVs, with a fabulous interior. But while the similarities are broad, there are key differences. For instance, instead of a split-folding tailgate like on the R1S, the R2 gets a standard rear hatch with a retractable rear window. Think Toyota 4Runner—especially the older generations that ran a bit smaller.
It also gets power-operated vent windows behind the rear doors, which, combined with the drop-down rear glass should make this one of the airiest cabins out there. The charge door has also been relocated from the front left of the vehicle to the rear right, better for curbside charging but still not ideal for using Tesla Superchargers.
Inside, it has the same rugged-minimalist vibe as the R1, with the same 15.6-inch screen to control almost every function. Rivian got a lot of flak for not including a glove box on the R1, though, so the R2 has two glove boxes. One can be found in the normal location ahead of the passenger’s seat, and one is below the center of the dashboard.
The biggest upgrade over the R1 is the new fold-flat front seats. Because the R2 is a smaller vehicle, there isn’t as much room to sleep inside of it. For adventure types, that’s a huge selling point of an SUV. To make sure you can still do that, the R2 (and R3) get folding second and third-row seats.
That means you can have a flat space for sleeping when you camp. Along with the already available “Camping Mode” that can run the climate control all night, the fold-flat seats should make the R2 one of the best vehicles for car camping. Seeing the fold-flat seats is what convinced me to throw down a deposit immediately. If you don’t want to sleep inside, though, Rivian will also offer a custom roof tent with a built-in projector.
Rivian R2 Tech Features
That 15.6-inch screen looks the same as the first-generation R1, but like the second-generation R1, it will run on the Unreal Engine for better graphics. The R2 should also support Rivian Connect+, the brand’s new subscription service that gives you access to Chromecast support for the central screen, WiFi hotspot capability and Apple Music’s full catalog of music.
Rivian R2 Live Impressions New York City
Music and ADAS controls can also be managed by new scroll wheels in the steering wheel. The scroll wheels have force feedback and are contextual, too. So when you get to the top or bottom of a menu or setting, they’ll stop rotating and give you feedback that shows you’ve reached the end of the options. Increments for the virtual “clicks” you feel as you scroll are also different depending on the function.
As you increase volume, for instance, you may get two dozen “click” sensations as you scroll from min to max volume, but while setting the following distance, you may get four or five vibrations before you bump into the virtual stopper.
Like the refreshed R1, the R2 will come with 11 cameras and five radar sensors to support the vehicle’s driver-assistance and semi-autonomous features. And Rivian has big plans in that department.
In December, the automaker announced that future variants of the R2 will get lidar and the company’s first in-house computer chip for advanced self-driving. That sensor will begin shipping in R2s at the end of 2026, several months after the planned start of production. (Rivian has not named its lidar supplier.)
Photo by: Rivian
That means, according to Rivian, that the R2 will eventually be capable of true, full-on Level 4 self-driving. Rivian plans to “continuously improve the autonomy capabilities of its Gen 2 R1 and future R2 vehicles, with a clear trajectory including point-to-point, eyes off and personal L4.” Rivian’s latest Gen 2 R1T and R1S models (which don’t have lidar) will get point-to-point urban navigation this year, Scaringe said. Scaringe added that the company’s goal is a car that can run errands for you while you aren’t even inside it.
Photo by: Rivian
But that’s an ambitious timeline for a company that’s fairly late to the autonomy race. Rivian only recently added hands-free highway driving to its arsenal, something the likes of General Motors and Ford have been doing for years. It’s behind Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on point-to-point navigation. Still, it’s investing a lot of capital into autonomy, and the R2 platform is where we’ll see its next moves take shape.
The R2 will also have a separate, powered auxiliary port near the tow hitch for mounting proprietary accessories. Examples include a powered camp kitchen or a folding, easy-mount bike rack with powered lights that fits perfectly in the vehicle’s frunk. If the company can offer that at a competitive price, it could be far more convenient than hitch-mounted racks.
Finally, there are a few things the R1 has that the R2 won’t get. There’s no hydraulic anti-roll system or air suspension option for the R2. That means that while it’ll still be capable off-road, expect more focus on on-road performance and less rock-crawling capability.
Rivian R2 Supercharger Compatibility And Charging Specs
Rivian says the R2 (and R3) will be able to charge from 10 to 80% in under 30 minutes, but exact numbers haven’t been announced. The Rivian R1 takes about 40 minutes to go from 10-80%, and can accept up to 220 kW charging speeds.
The bigger news is that the R2 will be the first Rivian product to come direct from the factory with a North American Charging System (NACS) port. This is the port Tesla uses on its vehicles, as opposed to the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) port found on most non-Tesla EVs, including the R1. Native NACS support should make the R2 easy to use at Tesla Superchargers. And in good news for anyone who hates double-parking at those stations, Rivian moved the port to the left rear like on a Tesla for even easier access.
R2s should be able to seamlessly charge at existing Supercharger stations, while R1s and many other EVs have to wait for Tesla to extend its cables or offer a NACS-to-NACS extension cord.
Will There Be An R2T?
We asked Scaringe about this in an interview last year, and while he stopped short of confirming a true R2 truck, he said there may be many different versions of the R2 down the line.
“I mean, we haven’t announced anything, but… it doesn’t take a huge amount of imagination to think of, like, if there’s R2 what are the other R2 variants?” he said on the Plugged-In Podcast. “And we sort of hinted at that with R3, where we did an R3X. You could imagine X versions, you can imagine other versions.”
Meanwhile, Scaringe said that plans are taking shape for the Rivian R4 and R5, which will share a platform like the R2 and R3—but at a lower cost.
How Do I Get One?
You can preorder the Rivian R2 here for $100.
When the SUV arrives in 2026, the first examples will go to R1 owners. Once production ramps up, Rivian says it should be able to make as many R2s as the market demands. For Rivian’s sake, that demand had better be there. This EV is crucial to Rivian becoming a successful, mainstream car company, and it’s easily one of the most important new car debuts of 2026.
I just hope I can get mine in green.
Contact the author: mack.hogan@insideevs.com
Additional material from Patrick George.
