Rivian's Affordable New R2 EV Starts Under $49,000

A year after its debut, the Rivian R2 will arrive this spring. However, it won't be the much-discussed $45,000 Rivian R2 Standard that's hitting driveways first. Instead, as it has done in the past, top-tier versions will get made first. These are the most profitable for the automaker, and therefore the most logical starting point. The R2 Performance will arrive this spring, starting at $57,990. The rest of the lineup will be produced in reverse order, leading up to the eventual release of the approximately $45,000 R2 Standard. You can find a full breakdown of R2 models by price, which was just announced, and release date, below.

The R2 Performance earns its name: dual electric motors combine for a hilarious 656 horsepower and a supercar-like 3.6-second sprint to 60 mph. The SUV's range figures are equally important, and the EPA estimates the R2 Performance and the lesser R2 Premium will both manage around 330 miles on a charge. Like the Performance, the Premium model also benefits from all-wheel drive, but with a reduced 450 horsepower. Finally, the R2 Standard will offer a single-motor rear-wheel drive powertrain with two battery options, the smallest of which will net buyers that $45,000 price point. The RWD Long Range configuration of Standard trims will come first, in the first half of 2027. Power output doesn't change, though, with 350 horsepower and a Rivian-estimated range of up to 345 miles.

However, it's a little early to say much more about the R2's supposed $45,000 version. The automaker's new model should bring real volume to the brand, with a starting price hovering right around the average transaction price of a new car in the US (at least for the long-range Standard trim). Rivian may find itself in a position where the cheapest, and therefore least profitable, version of the SUV doesn't need to be made. Buyers may find its sub-300-mile range unappetizing. Or, buyers may simply be willing to spend more on what is already a premium EV brand. In either case, it's easy to see Rivian opting to axe the cheapest version of its new crossover. For now, though, the entry-level SUV looks poised to deliver on its promises with the rest of the lineup.