Rivian R2 deliveries are underway and the model arrives as the company shifts toward a higher volume market, with outlets reporting customers taking vehicles from Rivian Spaces and estimated wait times of two to six weeks, as reported by EVTech.News.
The R2 Performance delivers 656 horsepower and a 0 to 60 miles per hour time of 3.6 seconds, as reported by both of the sources, and offers EPA range figures variously reported between 330 and 345 miles. The Verge notes a Launch Package entry price beginning at $59,485 and a dual motor R2 Performance tested in Park City, Utah. EVTech.News reports a launch edition price near $57,990 and projects a future standard trim around $48,490.
The Verge provides additional pricing details for other trims, citing a dual motor R2 Premium listed at $55,485 with up to 330 miles of range, and a single motor Standard version projected near $46,485 in summer 2027 with roughly 275 miles of range. That source also notes a Standard Long Range option appears likely for $3,500 more with about 345 miles.
Autonomy Technology And Engineering Trade Offs
Rivian is pitching advanced driver assistance as part of the R2 story. The company offers an Autonomy Plus package priced at $2,500 one time or $49.99 monthly, and the Launch Package includes Autonomy Plus for the vehicle’s lifetime, as reported by The Verge. Current Universal Hands Free software handles highway hands off driving in Mild, Medium or Spicy modes but can be overconfident at off ramps and intersections, the Verge reviewer observed, and Rivian says an over the air update will add stops at traffic lights and stop signs before full point to point rollout.
Rivian also previewed future hardware and software plans. The Verge reports that new R2s will add a windshield lidar and the Rivian Autonomy Platform, which pairs two in house super chips each rated at 800 TOPS, and that Rivian assures buyers existing R2s and second generation R1S and R1T models will support full point to point features even without that lidar and RAP hardware.
On the engineering side, The Verge describes the R2 as roughly 5,000 pounds, nearly 2,000 pounds lighter than its larger sibling, and built around an 87.9 kilowatt hour battery using 768 enlarged cylindrical cells versus 7,776 cells in the R1. Max Koff, R2 chief engineer, called the vehicle “the culmination of all our learnings before,” and RJ Scaringe and James Philbin are cited as company leaders pressing toward robotaxis and consumer autonomy. The Verge highlights a conventional suspension layout, a 9.6 inch ground clearance and 19.7 inch water fording, plus cabin updates such as twin screens and new haptic halo dials, while noting the R2 sacrifices some of the R1S’s air spring sophistication.
