last week, Electric car maker Rivian has unveiled its latest electric SUV, the R2. Rivian says the R2 will join the R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck when the vehicle begins rolling off the assembly line in the first half of 2026.
Crucially, Rivian promises that its latest offering will be cheaper: According to Rivian press materials, the SUV will cost “around” $45,000, making it about $30,000 less expensive than its larger SUV sibling, but still have less range. About 300 miles.
Making its new SUV more affordable without sacrificing range or style will not only be critical to making Rivian’s latest model stand out in an increasingly crowded electric vehicle field, but it could also save the company. How does Rivian make it work? “The R1 was designed by addition. It’s our premium flagship. We had to say yes to a lot of things,” said Jeff Hammoud, the automaker’s chief design officer, at the R2’s unveiling event last week in Laguna Beach, California. said. “With R2, what we’re really thinking about is, what do we need to say no to in order to bring down the price?”
It’s early days, but the math seems to be working: Rivian reports that the SUV received more than 68,000 reservations within 24 hours of launch.
For the electric carmaker’s design team, the secret to creating what executives describe as a “more approachable” R2 was to maintain the original SUV’s design language (elements that make it distinctly Rivian) while paring back as much as possible. Manufacturing and material costs. As a result, the R2 has Rivian’s signature front fascia with smiley headlights that look like a smaller version of the R1S. (The new car seats five, not seven.) Cutting more costs depends on smart engineering.
After a full day showing off the R2 and its surprising crossover, the R3, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe sat down with WIRED to discuss some of the little things his engineering and design teams are doing to help the new SUV perform. compromise.
suspension system
In order to make the R1 series a sports car/off-road hybrid, Rivian had to go all out to improve its suspension system.Because the battery is Heavy, the vehicle needs air springs to ensure it can get the ground clearance needed to traverse rough roads, while also requiring stability to make the ride feel comfortable and smooth. An electro-hydraulic roll control system helps the R1 navigate tight corners (the part of a sports car), absorb off-road impacts and maximize wheel articulation so as many wheels as possible remain in contact even on the most treacherous terrain. This nifty system also offers some delightful perks. Camping mode, for example, uses the suspension to level the R1’s chassis on uneven ground, making it more comfortable for sleeping or cooking, or just hanging in the car or truck bed.
But Scarlinger says this complex and expensive suspension system isn’t suitable for the R2. To reduce manufacturing costs, the SUV has a fixed ride height and fixed roll control. Rather than using an independent double-wishbone front suspension design (which uses two arms to connect each wheel to the chassis), the R2 uses struts.
Scarlinger said the change was “absolutely the right decision” as it performed well in internal safety testing, saved the automaker “hundreds of dollars” and had the added benefit of being more efficient for the R2 More front storage space is provided.
rear window
With the R2, Rivian designers wanted to give passengers a classic “open-air” adventure car experience, akin to exploring inside a Toyota Land Cruiser. So the team started installing full drop-down glass for the rear passenger windows. easy to say, hard to do. Many vehicles, including the R1S, have a fixed quarter window separated from the rolled-down section by a metal and rubber strip called a divider strip. This configuration makes sense for many vehicles because the rear passenger door overlaps the front of the rear wheelbase, which means the small section of glass behind the divider has nowhere to go.
So Rivian’s design team had to spend a lot of time fiddling with the dimensions of the R2’s rear doors in order to get rid of the window glass. “So there were some silly proportions for a while,” Scaringe said. Ultimately, the final configuration was to have the entire rear window drop down. It also allows Rivian to save money on glass, dividers and sealants.
back table
Hammoud, head of design at Rivian, said R1S owners really like the SUV’s split rear tailgate. It opens like a clamshell, making it easier for shorter people to access the trunk, and also gives people a place to sit and be protected from the elements. But this setup is quite expensive. With the R2, Rivian did away with the split tailgate but added a handy little rear tray table that can be used inside the car when picnicking or camping, or flips out of the car to be used as a seat or changing table.
Portable bluetooth speaker
The R1 Series features a built-in, detachable Bluetooth speaker that also emits a soft yellow glow – a lovely campground mood-setter. But emotional regulation is not free. The R2 does not come with speakers. It’s a shame, but necessary to keep costs down.
Frenk
Rivian likes to talk about its software-first approach. In fact, its vehicles are constantly collecting data. For this reason, automakers know that drivers are actually using its front trunk, or “trunk”—the storage space where gasoline-powered car engines typically reside. Scaringe attributes the R1 frunk’s popularity to its very easy-to-use opening and closing technology, which allows one to open and close the thing by double-clicking a button on the keychain or pressing a button on the front panel, no pushing or prodding required.
But the system is expensive. With the R2, the trunk can still be opened with the flick of a button, which releases a latch inside. But there is a small strap hanging from the inner lid of the compartment. The driver simply pulls on the straps and the tether takes over, closing the trunk tightly. “For a $45,000 car, it’s just the right compromise,” Scaringe said. Rivian will really find out whether drivers agree when the R2 rolls out of the factory and onto American roads in about two years.