The 2026 Rivian R2: Your Questions Answered

Daily Car

·

07/11/2025

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Rivian will start handing the first R2 SUVs to customers during the first half of 2026. Tooling trials begin late 2025; early build cars leave the line early 2026, just before sales start.

The R2 uses a new battery built from scratch - it contains large round cells called 4695; each cell holds roughly six times the energy of the 2170 cell used in today's R1 pack. Rivian targets a 330-mile driving range - the kilowatt hour number is still secret. The battery lid doubles as the cabin floor. LG Energy Solution will produce the cells in the United States starting in 2027.

A bidirectional charger comes standard. The system named Energy Management Control Module, draws DC current from the pack and outputs AC power for the house. The home charger must support two way flow and a small hardware kit is required. Having V2H on an EV priced below $50,000 gives owners a budget friendly home storage option.

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Rivian's Normal, Illinois plant is preparing for the model. The dedicated body shop plus a 1.1 million square foot general assembly hall are complete. A 1.2 million square foot supplier park and logistics center stands ready. The site is set up to build up to 155,000 R2 SUVs per year.

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