Rivian developing more R2 variants beyond the SUV
▼ Summary
– The Rivian R2 electric SUV will launch next year with a $45,000 base model and is priced to compete with rivals like the BMW iX3.
– CEO RJ Scaringe hinted at a possible R2X variant and said Rivian is considering making its own lidar sensors with a Chinese partner.
– Initial R2 production is in Normal, Illinois, while the R2 and smaller R3 will later be built at a new Georgia factory set to open in 2028.
– The Georgia plant, funded partly by a $4.5 billion DOE loan, will have a 300,000-vehicle annual capacity and also build robotaxis for Uber.
– Rivian’s Normal factory can produce up to 155,000 R2s per year, plus 60,000 R1s and delivery vans.
The wait for Rivian’s highly anticipated R2 electric SUV is nearly over. Following the success of its groundbreaking R1T electric pickup truck, the three-row R1S SUV, and a fleet of Amazon delivery vans, the automaker is now turning its attention to a smaller, more affordable model. Base versions of the midsize R2 will compete directly with vehicles like the BMW iX3, and if all goes according to schedule, a $45,000 R2 with a smaller battery pack will arrive next year.
Yet there’s more to the R2 story than just the SUV. In an interview with Reuters, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe hinted at additional variants. “Clearly there could be an R2X,” Scaringe said. “There’s going to be combinations… I want to be careful not to announce the program.” He also revealed that Rivian is exploring the possibility of manufacturing its own lidar sensors in partnership with a Chinese company.
Initial production of the R2 is underway at Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois. But the R2, along with the even smaller R3 and its sporty R3X variant, will eventually be built at a new facility in Georgia. That plant is expected to come online in 2028, partly financed by a $4.5 billion loan from the Department of Energy, which Rivian will begin accessing next year.
When fully operational, the Georgia plant will have an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. That leaves plenty of room for multiple versions of the R2 and R3, especially if Rivian adopts a BMW-like strategy of generating a wide array of models from a single platform. The Georgia facility will also produce robotaxis for Uber, following a $1.25 billion deal signed between the ride-hailing company and Rivian in March.
Meanwhile, the Normal plant has the capacity to build an additional 155,000 R2s each year, alongside up to 60,000 R1 vehicles and delivery vans.
(Source: Ars Technica)
