Rivian starts production of its lower-cost R2 electric SUV ahead of spring deliveries

An EF-1 tornado had struck the Normal facility just days earlier, peeling away part of the roof. Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Scaringe said the storm would not push back the R2 launch schedule. "The tornado went through the south end of the plant, and ripped the roof off the building, and knocked down some of the plant as well, and so the last 72 hours have been around the clock," he said. Material routing into the plant required adjustment, Scaringe added, though he was firm that "we're not making any changes to the plan."

Buyers who take early delivery will pay $57,990 for a performance-trim "Launch Package" version, according to CNBC, which bundles 330 miles of range, dual motors, and permanent access to the Autonomy+ driver-assistance suite. A $53,990 option is slated to follow before year's end, according to TechCrunch.

Both figures represent a sharp departure from the $45,000 target Rivian spent years advertising. The cheapest R2 — now described by the company as starting "around $45,000" rather than the "at $45,000" phrasing that appeared on Rivian's website as recently as February, according to TechCrunch — is not expected to reach customers until late 2027, and no sub-$50,000 configuration will be sold before the first half of that year.

Positioned below the R1 series, whose pricing begins north of $70,000, the R2 is central to Rivian's strategy of reaching a wider customer base while shrinking the per-unit losses that have shadowed the company since its founding.

The company's first-quarter earnings call, set for April 30, is expected to include an update on R2 production volumes.