Buyers will have to wait another year for that $45,000 Rivian EV.
The electric automaker on Thursday released full pricing and trim details for its new midsize SUV called R2, which is being made in Normal. It’s seen as a critical product for Rivian as it tries to reach mainstream buyers who are shopping at lower price points.
The first R2s will be delivered to customers this spring, starting with a special “launch” version that starts at $57,990, the company said. A “premium” version, starting at $53,990, will be available in late 2026. The “standard” model, starting at $48,490, follows in the first half of 2027, followed by a base model starting around $45,000 in late 2027.
Rivian previously said the R2 would start at around $45,000, though it had not revealed exact timing or pricing until Thursday’s announcement. The company had said R2s would become available in the first half of 2026, though buyers who wanted that cheaper $45,000 option will now have to wait until the end of 2027.
“R2 embodies so many of our learnings that we have accumulated—the passion and attention to detail from our team is visible everywhere,” RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian, said in a statement. “Thank you to all the teams across Rivian who poured their energy into bringing this incredible vehicle to life. I couldn't be more excited.”
Other details from Thursday’s announcement:
- The R2 Performance “Launch Package” model, starting at $57,990, will have a range of up to 330 miles. The cheapest version (at $45,000) has range of 275+ miles.
- Buyers can subscribe to Rivian’s autonomous driving hardware for $50/month or a $2,500 one-time fee. All new R2 deliveries include a 60-day trial of Autonomy+.
- Rivian is introducing three new exterior colors: Catalina Cove (with deep blues and translucent greens), Esker Silver, and Half Moon Grey.
While its first models (the R1T pickup and R1S SUV, both starting at over $72,000) were priced for early adopters and luxury buyers, Rivian hopes R2’s lower price point will appeal to more types of customers. The R2 will be made in Normal to start, then also at a second manufacturing plant being built in Georgia. Rivian invested $1.5 billion to add R2 production capacity in Normal.
If Rivian ever gets to full capacity, with three shifts of workers, it’ll be able to make 215,000 vehicles a year in Normal, including 155,000 R2s. It made 42,284 vehicles in 2025.
Rivian will no longer say how many people it employs in Normal, though clues suggest it’s somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000. When asked how R2 expansion will impact headcount in Normal, a spokesperson said, “We will be hiring in the coming months.”
