This year you can buy a Rivian R2, although production will take some time to ramp up

• Rivian has announced that it will begin production of the R2 in the second quarter of 2026, and ramp up to volume production in the second half of the year.
• Sales of Rivian’s R1S, R1T and commercial vehicle are expected to be similar to those in 2025, with Rivian predicting 20,000 to 25,000 deliveries of the R2.
• Rivian expects the cheaper R2 to make up the majority of the company’s revenue by the end of 2027.

Unveiled in 2024, the Rivian R2 could be the California-based startup’s ticket to long-term success. We just got our first drive of the smaller Rivian SUV in prototype form, and the young company is aiming to kick off production this year. In Rivian’s fourth-quarter earnings call yesterday, the company gave a better idea of ​​when exactly the R2 will arrive and how the production process will unfold, as initially reported by Indoor EVs.

According to Rivian CFO Claire McDonough, production of the R2 will start in the second quarter of this year. However, as is typical with new products from emerging automakers, it will take some time before Rivian can scale up production of its new compact SUV, and volume production likely won’t start until the second half of the year. Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois will initially build a launch edition model in one shift, before adding a second shift later in 2026.

Because R2 production will gradually increase throughout the year, Rivian’s sales expectations are relatively modest. McDonough said on the earnings call that the company expects to deliver between 62,000 and 67,000 vehicles across its lineup in 2026, and that volumes for its R1S, R1T and electric van should be similar to last year’s figures. In 2025, Rivian moved just over 42,000 units of those three models, meaning Rivian expects to ship between 20,000 and 25,000 units of the R2 this year.

That number is likely much lower than the company’s long-term goals, as the R2 is expected to retail around $40,000 and should become the company’s best seller. CEO RJ Scaringe said CNBC that the R2 is expected to make up the majority of Rivian’s sales by the end of 2027, with the Normal factory now expanded to build up to 215,000 vehicles per year, including 155,000 R2s. Rivian is also building a new factory in Georgia to assemble the R2 and other models later this decade.

While the target base price for the R2 is $45,000, the company hasn’t released official pricing details yet, and the first launch edition models are likely to be significantly more expensive. The R2 is expected to arrive with a range of around 310 miles and a twin-motor powertrain producing 656 horsepower, although single-motor and performance-oriented three-motor models have also been announced.

---

➡️ Skip Fate. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.

Shop new cars Shop used cars

Caleb Miller started blogging about cars at the age of 13, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and driver team. He enjoys quirky and obscure cars, with a goal of one day owning something as bizarre as a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsport fan.