Rivian to deliver first R2 SUVs on June 9

Rivian announced on Tuesday that customer deliveries of its new R2 SUV will begin June 9. The vehicle represents the automaker's push into a broader market with a lower price point than its existing R1 lineup.

The initial R2 will start at just under $60,000. Rivian plans to introduce a "standard" version priced at $48,490 in 2027, and a further budget option "starting around $45,000" late next year, a target the company first mentioned when unveiling the R2 in 2024.

Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe called the R2 "maybe the most important thing we've launched to date." Rivian is banking on rapid growth, with plans to deliver as many as 25,000 R2 vehicles by the end of this year alone.

The company has spent recent months accelerating production readiness for the R2. Alongside its planned hatchback sibling, the R3, Rivian is counting on these new models to drive the business toward its first profitable year since the company was founded in 2009.