Last year, the Californian electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian ended with losses of $5.4 billion, and this company decided to rely on Tesla’s experience in its development, and therefore presented this week a more affordable electric car, thanks to massive sales of which it hopes to improve its financial position in 2026 of the year. The Rivian R2 crossover will be offered at a price starting at $45,000.
At the same time, the characteristic exterior design is largely borrowed from the Rivian R1S, simply adapted to more modest proportions. The new product reduced its dimensions from 5100 × 1837 × 2212 mm (L × H × W) to 4715 × 1700 × 2144 mm, and the wheelbase length decreased from 3075 to 2935 mm. Not much is known about the technical characteristics of the Rivian R2 yet; only the transition to the use of 4695 size battery cells, which are 15 mm higher than the cylindrical 4680 used by Tesla, is reported. The Rivian R2 power plant can be equipped with one, two or three electric motors. The average range will be 483 km, but it will vary greatly depending on the configuration and equipment of the crossover. By the way, the three-motor version of the Rivian R2 will be able to accelerate to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. The single-engine version provides drive only to the rear axle. The car will initially be equipped with a NACS charging port, which will allow charging at Tesla stations, and the hatch with access to it has been moved from the front fender to the rear to bring the crossover closer in layout to Tesla models.
No less interesting is the story about the interior features and accessories of the Rivian R2. First of all, the rear door window is lowered to allow the transportation of some long items in the cabin. Japanese Toyota SUVs offered a similar solution back in the eighties of the last century, but somehow later they forgot about it. In the rear bumper area of the Rivian R2 there are special holes for console mounting of various accessories. For example, here you can place a device for transporting two bicycles, a camp kitchen or a “cargo” box in which you won’t mind putting agricultural equipment after work or dusty bags of building materials. You can install a tent on the roof of the crossover.
The front trunk is quite roomy by the standards of most electric vehicles; it can accommodate not only a medium-sized suitcase, but also up to six large bags from the supermarket.
Rivian R2 allows you to fold the seats not only in the back row, but also in the front row, forming an almost flat floor on which you can organize sleeping places during a hike. When traveling as a couple, you don’t even need a rooftop tent to sleep in the car. In the door you can find a branded flashlight, which is also useful when you are outside the city at night.
Between the front seats there is a spacious box with an armrest, and the Rivian R2 can also surprise with the presence of two glove boxes.
The steering wheel has two large scroll wheels with mechanical feedback, which are convenient for navigating between various functions on the go. The standard infotainment system will allegedly not support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and will rely on Rivian's own software platform.
Active driver assistance systems are planned for a degree of autonomy that will allow the car owner to move on the highway without having to keep an eye on the road and keep his hands on the wheel, but the implementation of this function will depend on Rivian's progress in software development and the favor of US legislators. Five radars and 11 cameras will become the “eyes and ears” of active driver assistance systems, but a car starting at $45,000 is unlikely to receive lidar. The crossover is planned to be launched on the US market in the first half of 2026; orders can be placed in advance by making a deposit of $100.
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