Rivian R2: a compact electric SUV expected on March 7

We see it less often on our roads than other brands, but the electric truck manufacturer Rivian continues to thrive. It must be said that the delivery of the first units of its R1S, a full-size all-electric SUV, and the R1T, the pickup truck based on the same platform, is taking longer than expected. However, this doesn’t stop Rivian from planning the arrival of a new model, the R2, which will be unveiled on March 7th.

This was announced by the management of Rivian on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. The R2 will be more compact than the R1S, which should result in a more reasonable retail price. The announcement made a few days ago does not include any technical information, but we can deduce from statements made last summer by Rivian’s Chief Financial Officer that the R2 will be launched by 2026 at a retail price ranging from $40,000 to $60,000 USD, or approximately $55,000 to $80,000 CAD, depending on the current exchange rate.

By comparison, the current cost of the R1S is $78,000 USD, or $105,000 CAD. Therefore, we are talking about a smaller electric vehicle that will make the Rivian brand more accessible to the general public and, hopefully, ensure its long-term profitability. Despite the assistance received in recent years from Ford and Amazon, among others, Rivian is not yet profitable. There is no need to panic at the moment, but offering affordable electrified models is the key to success for Rivian, which seems to want to imitate Tesla’s strategy in its early days, but applied to the SUV and pickup truck market.

So far, we haven’t seen much of the R2, except for a covered prototype that had the overall shape of the R1S, but in a format comparable to that of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Rivian has also patented the name “R2T,” which suggests that a pickup truck version of this model might also appear.

We will learn more on March 7th. We will also be able to see if Rivian’s plan to eventually offer a range of six electric vehicles is still on track.

The text Rivian R2: un VUS électrique compact attendu le 7 mars comes from L’annuel de l’automobile – Actualité automobile