The Rivian R2 SUV, which is the California-based firm’s smaller, extra inexpensive passenger EV, is formally going to Europe, in line with Auto Specific. That mentioned, we nonetheless don’t know when the R2 will attain the Outdated Continent, however our cash is someday after 2026.
That’s as a result of the shrunken-down R1S will solely go into manufacturing in 2026 for the USA market on the firm’s new manufacturing facility in Georgia (which is not constructed but). In truth, the automotive hasn’t been even formally unveiled–that can occur on March 7.
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Rivian to increase passenger EV portfolio to Europe
Rivian’s first commercially-available passenger EV in Europe would be the brand-new R2 electrical SUV that is but to be unveiled. Anticipated to be smaller and extra inexpensive than the flagship R1S SUV, the brand new R2 EV will go into manufacturing someday in 2026 on the firm’s new manufacturing facility in Georgia.
Rivian isn’t a stranger to the European market, although. Its Electrical Supply Vans began transport to Germany final yr as a part of its cope with Amazon, with over 300 EDVs put to work delivering packages for the American e-commerce large.
Apart from sending a whole lot of electrical vans to the Outdated Continent, Rivian additionally has a components distribution middle within the Netherlands and a service middle in Dusseldorf, Germany that was opened final yr to restore and handle Amazon’s EDVs right here. This implies the American EV maker received’t be ranging from scratch when the R2 SUV reaches European shores.
It goes with out saying {that a} single service middle is way from sufficient for an entire continent, however there we’re nonetheless a few years away from supply time, so we take it Rivian will do what it takes to determine extra service places and shops if it needs to succeed.
We received a shadowy first take a look at the upcoming R2 in a teaser video revealed by the California-based startup final week, after which the web went loopy analyzing what appeared to be AI-generated images of an uncamouflaged white R2 attending a photograph/video shoot.
Judging from the photographs we’ve seen to date, we are able to say that the R2 SUV will certainly appear to be a Rivian, with its upright oval headlights and full-width LED daytime operating lights. It can, nevertheless, be smaller and extra inexpensive than the flagship R1S, with Rivian CFO Claire McDonough hinting final yr that the brand new mannequin may have a beginning value of round $40,000 and a most retail value of $60,000 in the USA.