Rivian R2 electric SUV scores over 68,000 reservations in under 24 hours
After launching its more affordable R2 electric SUV Thursday, Rivian’s (RIVN) CEO RJ Scaringe said the EV scored over 68,000 reservations in under 24 hours.
Rivian R2 already collects over 68,000 reservations
Rivian introduced its smaller, more affordable R2 electric SUV Thursday at its new Laguna showroom.
The Rivian R2 starts at $45,000 and will be available in single, dual, and tri-motor powertrain setups. Scaringe said at the event that all versions will feature over 300 miles (482 km) of range.
Rivian’s R2 is 4,715 mm long, 1,700 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,935, certainly smaller than its current R1S ( 5,100 mm x L, 1,873 mm x H, 3,075 x wheelbase). You can view it more in line with the size of the Tesla Model Y.
The R2 clearly features the “essence” of the Rivian brand in terms of style and design, just in a smaller, more affordable package.
One of the coolest features is the R2’s open-air design. The rear glass drops while the first and second-row seats fold so you can easily fit a surfboard or other large item.
Scaringe channeled his inner Steve Jobs with a “one last thing” moment, revealing the R2’s sibling, the R3, and a higher-performance tri-motor R3X. Rivian says the R3 is its take on a crossover.
In less than 24 hours, the R2 has already generated over 68,000 reservations, according to Scaringe.
Rivian’s CEO said the company is “Overwhelmed by the wonderful response to our new vehicles: R2, R3, and R3X.” With over 68,000 reservations, Scaringe posted on his Twitter that Rivian is “Thrilled to see this vehicle [the R2] resonate so strongly with our community.”
To accelerate the R2 launch, Rivian said it will begin building the EV at its Normal, Illinois, manufacturing plant rather than its new Georgia facility.
As a result, Rivian plans to start R2 production in the first half of 2026. New upgrades at its Normal plant will allow up to 215,000 vehicles to be built annually, up from the previous capacity of 150,000.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles
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Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!
An arbitration “court” found that Tesla misled customers with its Full Self Driving product, and has now been forced to refund at least one person’s $10,000 payment (plus legal fees) for the not-quite autonomous driving software. France, too, is piling on claims of deceptive business practices – but there’s some good news for FSD fans! If you’re still willing to pay for it, Tesla will thrown in 0% financing on a brand new Cybertruck.
Check out the relevant links, below, to learn more.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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