Rivian R2 2026: Specs, price and availability

The Premium model follows in late 2026 at $53,990. Same 87.9 kWh battery, same 330-mile range, but 450 horsepower, 537 pound-feet of torque, and 4.6-second zero-to-60 times. It’s still dual-motor all-wheel drive. Then the standard long-range model arrives in early 2027 at $48,490 with single-motor rear-wheel drive, 350 horsepower and zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Rivian estimates up to 345 miles on a single charge, which actually makes it the furthest in the lineup, but only by 15 miles.

This very important standard model is priced at an attractive $45,000 ($10,000 less than the base price) Volvo EX40 and less than $5000 Tesla Model Y Premium AWD) is finally coming in late 2027, with range reduced to around 275 miles. All four models have the North American Standard Charging Connector (NACS) with access to Tesla’s Supercharger network and a 10-80 percent charge time of 29 minutes.

But here’s the rub: The R2 prototypes won’t be as technically good as the models that will come six months or so later. Why? Rivian’s cool new RAP1 processor, a 5nm custom chip that delivers 1,600 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) that powers upcoming third-generation autonomy, won’t ship on R2 models until late 2026. The EVs also won’t have a lidar sensor to begin with. So crucially this means that early R2 adopters will get Gen 2 hardware, not Gen 3. L2+ autonomy, not L3.

Now, Rivian is at pains to stress here that the Gen 2 Performance R2 should be capable of point-to-point driving later this year — but do you want that or wait a few months until the Gen 2 Performance R2 packs “the most powerful combination of sensors and inference computing in North American consumer vehicles,” according to Rivian’s Senior Vice President of Electrical Appliances? I know what I will do. I also know what Rivian wants you to do: ignore this inconvenient truth and hand over the cash you desperately need, please. These sales goals will not reach themselves.

Better than big brother

Gen 3 hardware delays aside, Rivian has sprinkled more than a little magic dust on the R2. In fact, the Performance Edition outperforms the base R1S in terms of power and range, despite the much lower price. Yes, the R1S has more room (three rows), and its air suspension can lift it to nearly 15 inches of clearance, as well as EV leveling on steep terrain (the R2’s 9.6 inches are fixed), but in almost every other area, the R2 makes a harder case for the R1S’s answer.

Over the course of two days outside Salt Lake City, Utah, I joined a media blitz hosted by the brand (WIRED’s travel was paid for by Rivian) and tested the R2 on highways, mountain roads, and on some moderate off-road terrain.

The very good news is that much of what made the R1 such a hit with critics has been retained, tweaked or adapted here on the R2. The exterior design, for example, immediately reflects its bigger brother but is not just a scaled-down version of that electric car. The team managed to reduce the size to 185.9 inches while maintaining key proportions, so you get a five-seat SUV that is unmistakably rustic but in no way feels diminutive or spartan compared to a seven-seat car.