Photo: Rivian
Rivian won't start deliveries of its R2 compact SUV until 2026, so there is little information about its configurations and performance. A survey Rivian sent to R2 reservation holders suggests these details are not yet set in stone. Rivian asked for feedback about the most compelling battery and motor configurations, as well as the charge port location.
Rivian wowed everyone with the unveiling of the R2 compact SUV. Although deliveries are planned to start in 2026, Rivian has been busy touring the R2 and its little brothers R3 and R3X. The purpose of these tours has been to gauge interest and gather feedback from Rivian fans and potential buyers. The R2 prototypes showcased during the Laguna Beach unveiling may have appeared production-ready, but they are still a work in progress.
The exterior and interior design is production-ready, so we don't expect many changes until production starts in 2026. We've seen Rivian doing a great job defining the R2's character, and the Halo Rollers on the steering wheel were a nice touch. But other than that, the R2 body was still riding on a modified R1 platform. Everything beneath the SUV's body will change in production, from the motor configurations to the battery pack and technical details.
This is why it's the right time for Rivian to understand what customers want from the upcoming R2 EVs. The EV startup sent a survey to R2 reservation holders to understand what people feel about important details of the upcoming electric vehicles. These include the charge port location, battery options, and motor configurations. This will hopefully result in a better offering that would attract more buyers.
The charge port location has stirred strong debates after R2 prototypes were spotted with a rear-right port. This mirrors the location in the current Rivian EVs on the driver's side front. For owners, this is not much different, except that instead of driving in, they will need to back up. However, both positions are annoying Tesla drivers, especially as they will have to share the Superchargers with the Rivian drivers from now on.
In the Tesla world, the acceptable charge port locations are passenger-side front and driver-side rear. The R2 survey offers all four options plus another one if the reservation holder doesn't care about the charge port position. This will reveal the most appropriate position, hopefully avoiding a full-scale war with the Tesla owners.
Another section of the survey aims at finding the most compelling configurations. The R2 reservation holders were given 10 screens to choose between two configurations. These include range, acceleration, single/dual/tri-motor configuration, and price. For each screen, once you select the configuration, you are asked whether you would or would not order the one you chose. Here is a list of possible combinations:
Remember that not everyone will see the same options, as this is a simple A/B sampling. However, based on the feedback on social media, it appears that the Rivian R2 Dual-Motor AWD, with 350 miles of range at a $53-57K price, would be a killer vehicle.
The exterior and interior design is production-ready, so we don't expect many changes until production starts in 2026. We've seen Rivian doing a great job defining the R2's character, and the Halo Rollers on the steering wheel were a nice touch. But other than that, the R2 body was still riding on a modified R1 platform. Everything beneath the SUV's body will change in production, from the motor configurations to the battery pack and technical details.
This is why it's the right time for Rivian to understand what customers want from the upcoming R2 EVs. The EV startup sent a survey to R2 reservation holders to understand what people feel about important details of the upcoming electric vehicles. These include the charge port location, battery options, and motor configurations. This will hopefully result in a better offering that would attract more buyers.
The charge port location has stirred strong debates after R2 prototypes were spotted with a rear-right port. This mirrors the location in the current Rivian EVs on the driver's side front. For owners, this is not much different, except that instead of driving in, they will need to back up. However, both positions are annoying Tesla drivers, especially as they will have to share the Superchargers with the Rivian drivers from now on.
In the Tesla world, the acceptable charge port locations are passenger-side front and driver-side rear. The R2 survey offers all four options plus another one if the reservation holder doesn't care about the charge port position. This will reveal the most appropriate position, hopefully avoiding a full-scale war with the Tesla owners.
Another section of the survey aims at finding the most compelling configurations. The R2 reservation holders were given 10 screens to choose between two configurations. These include range, acceleration, single/dual/tri-motor configuration, and price. For each screen, once you select the configuration, you are asked whether you would or would not order the one you chose. Here is a list of possible combinations:
- Tri-motor AWD, 300 miles of range, $65-69k, 0-60 in 2.5 seconds;
- Tri-motor AWD, 325 miles of range, $57-61k, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds;
- Dual-motor AWD, 250 miles of range, $65-69k, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds;
- Dual-motor AWD, 350 miles of range, $53-57k, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds;
- Single-motor RWD, 250 miles of range, $57-61k, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds;
- Single-motor RWD, 350 miles of range, $57-61k, 0-60 in 7.5 seconds;
- Single-motor RWD, 335 miles of range, $49-53k, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds;
- Single-motor RWD, 250 miles of range, $49-53k, 0-60 in 7.5 seconds.
Remember that not everyone will see the same options, as this is a simple A/B sampling. However, based on the feedback on social media, it appears that the Rivian R2 Dual-Motor AWD, with 350 miles of range at a $53-57K price, would be a killer vehicle.
Rivian has begun sending select R2 reservation holders a survey to gather information. Some of the questions include:
— RivianTrackr (@RivianTrackr) April 26, 2024
- Preferred charging port location
- Range preference
- Motor options
Keep an eye out if you’re one of the lucky few! pic.twitter.com/opcRsfoy6M
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