Rivian design boss shares how R2 builds off R1S and R1T at a lower price
Rivian wants to shake up the industry with its next-generation R2 electric vehicle. Starting at around $45,000, the R2 is expected to open up a new market of buyers. How does Rivian plan to keep its rugged luxury feel at a lower price? The company’s design boss explains.
Rivian R2 design challenges present unique opportunity
In less than 24 hours after revealing the smaller, more affordable R2, Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe said the new electric SUV earned over 68,000 reservations.
Rivian unveiled the R2 last month, with starting prices around $45,000. That’s almost half the current $74,900 R1S and $69,900 R1T starting price.
At 4,715 mm long, 1,700 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,935, the R2 is undoubtedly smaller than the current R1S ( 5,100 mm x L, 1,873 mm x H, 3,075 x wheelbase). Despite its smaller size and lower price, Rivian insists the R2 will keep the brand’s essence.
According to Rivian’s design chief, Jeff Hammoud, the R2’s lower price point was one of the biggest challenges.
With R1, Rivian was able to include the cool features and design because “we weren’t that restricted on price point,” Hammoud said. At least, not as much as with R2.
Speaking with Design Milk, the company’s design boss said Rivian wants R2 to reach many more customers. But how do you do that without the car feeling cheap or diluted?
Keeping the brand essence of the Rivian brand
Rivian made a “conscious decision to make it feel like a smaller R1S,” according to Hammoud. To keep the brand essence, Hammoud said the company picked the key design elements to ensure R2 is recognizable.
One of the features Hammoud is most excited about is the R2’s new steering wheel design. With advanced roller wheels on both sides of the wheel, you can rotate them up or down, push them in and out, or move them side to side (like Tesla).
The controls differ significantly depending on the mode you are in. For example, it will have a slight click when you rotate it for volume. In the menu, you can feel bigger “chunks” of information.
Hammoud says the new design lets drivers feel what’s happening without taking their eyes off the wheel.
Not only does the R2 have its own unique design, but it also includes an abundance of fun accessories like a revamped camp kitchen, tent, and bike rack to upgrade any adventure.
Meanwhile, with the R3, an even smaller and cheaper EV, Rivian “showed how we can stretch the brand in a very different direction.” The R3 will feature a high-performance R3X variant reminiscent of an iconic rally car.
Rivian plans to start R2 production in the first half of 2026 at its Normal, IL plant. New upgrades will enable Rivian to build up to 215,000 vehicles annually, up from 150,000 previously, while slashing costs.
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Geely-backed performance EV brand Polestar has had some troubling times in recent months, but its future is looking a whole lot better after the company secured a $600 million loan facility to help it keep on keepin’ on.
Despite vehicle sales picking up in 2025 on the strengths of the Polestar EV brand’s Swedish sensibilities, cutting-edge Chinese EV tech, and Volvo-aided safety specs, the company’s financial picture has been anything but rosy, with the threat of having its stock delisted from the NASDAQ looming large at several points.
In a vote of broader confidence and better times ahead, Volvo’s parent company Geely Sweden Holdings AB is backing the brand with more than half a billion dollars of fresh funding to extend its operational runway:
Polestar, as borrower, entered into a credit agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary, as lender, of Geely Sweden Holdings AB in relation to a subordinated term loan facility of up to USD 600 million, of which the last USD 300 million would require lender consent based on Polestar’s future liquidity needs. The term loan facility is available to Polestar for general corporate purposes.
The new funds are just the most recent part of a big week for Polestar – one that saw the Polestar 4 recently begin deliveries to its first North American customers, and recent upgrades to the Polestar 3 have made that car a viable V2G/V2x offering in Europe, as well. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that Geely wants to see how this all plays out.
The company has four models in its current line-up on sale in 28 countries, along with additional planned models that include the Polestar 7 SUV (set to be introduced in 2028) and the Polestar 6 coupe/roadster.
Electrek’s Take
Product-wise, at least, it’s hard to argue that Polestar’s future appears to be anything but bright. The new Polestar 3 crossover is a viable competitor to the industry-leading Tesla Model Y, and the upcoming Polestar 4 and 5 models seem like winners, too. To drive that point home, Polestar is promoting up to $18,000 in incentives to lure in Tesla buyers.
You can find out more about Polestar’s killer EV deals on the full range of Polestar models, from the 2 to the 4, below, then let us know what you think of the three-pointed star’s latest discount dash in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE: Polestar.
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Whether it’s to keep the lights on after a natural disaster or just to avoid peak energy rates, more people than ever are adding battery energy storage to their home solar systems — but li-ion batteries aren’t the only option. The new WATT Fuel Cell uses the natural gas connection your home already has to generate power when you need it.
Technically a solid oxide fuel cell, the WATT unit turns the natural gas in your home into electricity without combustion, relying instead on a chemical reaction between the natural gas and oxygen in the air to create an electric current in a way that’s conceptually similar to a hydrogen fuel cell, but that makes use of a more readily available (and far cheaper) fuel source to generate power while producing far fewer harmful emissions than a conventional generator.
How it works
The company’s latest offering, the WATT HOME system, recently achieved certification at a 2 kW power rating, marking an important step on the company’s commercialization roadmap as it races to meet market demands for a natural-gas-powered backup solution to guarantee uptime in outage-prone regions.
This week, the company marked another major milestone by installing the of its first 2 kW WATT HOME solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) at the Edward M. Smith National Career and Life Skills Development Center, Hope Gas’ new state-of-the-art training facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia – but the news doesn’t end there.
The company plans to take advantage of the new 30% ITC benefit (a federal tax credit that lets homeowners deduct 30% of the cost of qualifying clean energy systems, which now includes natural gas) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to help drive sales, with installations beginning in Hope Gas’ utility territory in Q1 of 2026.
“The WATT HOME system’s new 2 kW certification … validates the performance capabilities we’ve engineered for years and strengthens our competitive position as we move into multi-year deployment with Hope Gas,” says Caine Finnerty, WATT’s CEO and Founder. “With the ITC benefit, we anticipate accelerated adoption and substantial value for customers, utilities, and investors.”
The gas fuel cell can send power directly to the home’s panel, keeping the lights on directly, or perform the same function as a solar panel, sending power to a battery where it can be stored for later use.
Keep in mind, though – this isn’t a zero emissions option the way a solar + battery solution is. This is very much a fossil fuel-powered solution that gives off carbon and nitrous emissions, and the only reasons we’re talking about it are:
- the tech is kind of cool
- I didn’t know these existed
- it is objectively cleaner than a conventional ICE generator
That said, while solar is still the better solution in an ideal world, a WATT HOME fuel cell might be a better option in situations where rooftop space is limited (or nonexistent), such as condos or vertically-designed townhomes. In those scenarios, solar panels are unlikely to generate a meaningful amount of electricity, but a fuel cell that can tap into the buildings’ existing natural gas lines to provide reliable backup power if the grid fails.
That makes the fuel cell an attractive option for residents in multi-unit buildings, older historic neighborhoods with strict aesthetic rules, or any building where adding solar panels aren’t feasible, but a low-emission, low-noise backup solution is still needed.
The better question, then, isn’t is it better than solar – it’s is it better than solar for you? If you’re in West Virginia, you might be able to find out in just a few weeks. In the meantime, watch WATT’s own explainer video, below, then let us know what you think of the idea of a natural gas fuel cell in the comments.
Powering your home with a fuel cell
SOURCE | IMAGES: WATT, via PRNewswire.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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French heavy lift and logistics specialists Mammoet are living up to their name with the addition of a new, mammoth-sized, 60-ton hybrid crane from the electric equipment experts at XCMG.
The 60-ton XCA60 EV crane from Chinese heavy equipment brand XCMG rides on three heavy-duty axles and packs a 48-meter telescopic boom. Add in an optional 16-meter jib, and the big crane’s hoist height tops 60 meters – more than enough to work on urban construction jobs or shipside at port.
“This delivery marks more than just a product handover – it’s a step forward in redefining what’s possible in sustainable lifting operations,” explains Zhen Li, chairman of XCMG Europe. “We’re proud to support Mammoet’s efforts to reduce environmental impact and look forward to seeing the XCA60-EV contribute to a cleaner, more efficient tomorrow.”
Taking delivery
The XCMG XCA60 EV powers its drive and lift motors with a 170 kW (~230 hp) electric motor that’s fed by a 115 kWh li-ion battery pack that’s integrated into the crane’s counterweight system. That means that the crane’s bigger battery, in this case, means more lifting power as well as more operating time on battery power – in this model, the crane’s battery is good for 6-8 hours of continuous operation.
On sites where access to grid power is limited, the onboard diesel generator can kick on and provide additional, extended hours of operation (hence: hybrid) while offering as much as a 40% increase in efficiency compared to a diesel drive unit.
Mammoet’s new XCA60 EV is one of the first production examples of the big electric-drive crane, which was first shown as a concept at Bauma 2022, to reach customers – but it won’t be the last.
“Mammoet is proud to be investing in the XCMG XCA60-EV crane, which is another important step in our ambition to deliver sustainable heavy lifting to the Dutch market, and beyond,” says Peter van Oostrom, director of global assets at Mammoet. “We look forward to seeing it deliver real results for our clients, helping to reduce the carbon impact of projects, while increasing their safety.”
SOURCE | IMAGES: Mammoet, via Crane Briefing; PRNewswire.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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