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RIVIAN CEO SHARES FIRST DETAILS ON UPCOMING R2 PROGRAM

The Platform Will Be Smaller And More Affordable Than Its Current EV Offerings

Image Via Facebook.

Rivian should be able to produce 25,000 vehicles this year. That’s about half of its regular capacity. The company beat everyone to the market with its all-electric pickup the R1T, but supply-chain issues have slowed the company down in pushing vehicles through the assembly line. Despite these hurdles, Rivian continues forward with the financial support of institutional giants, including Ford Motor Company, Amazon, and others. Still looking ahead, the American electric vehicle maker appears to be developing some new tech of its own including an R2 platform that is expected to serve as the basis for future, more affordable*, vehicles.

Rivian R1S R1T Electric pickup truck suv
Image via Rivian

Automotive News Spoke with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who told them out of almost 170 hours available a week, a small portion of those are actually being used for production. This may be cause for concern as the company is expected to crank out 10,000 all-electric vans for Amazon’s delivery fleet by the end of this year. There are also 83,000 R1T and R1S reservations on the books to tend to as well. To move things along, the assembly plant in Normal Illinois recently made adjustments to its assembly line to allow the production of 200 R1T trucks a week. Assuming a 52-week schedule that puts total units produced at just over 10,000 which is still a far cry from the 150,00 total vehicles expected to run off the line starting next year. Scaringe does believe that the semiconductor shortage should normalize next year however which would help things tremendously.

Scaringe also revealed the company is looking to implement new electric motors, which are being developed in house, a new unique 800-volt battery, and a new platform dubbed “R2” for smaller vehicles that will be more affordable than its current $67,500 flagship truck, the R1T. Rivian has already trademarked some names we expect to see linked to future vehicles such as: R2T, R2S, R2A, R2C, R2R and R2X. Nothing has been confirmed but we do believe the R2S to and R2X to be associated with a sedan and crossover, both of which may see production at Rivian’s new plant in Georgia.

Rivian Amazon Delivery Van
Photo via Amazon
Rivian Normal Il Illinois Manufacturing Plant Factory R1T R1S Fort Worth Texas Assembly Plant Georgia
Image Via Rivian.

Written by Cody U.

Cody is a Tennessee-based media professional with a degree in Journalism and Electronic Media. He has spent time as a country radio morning show producer and currently writes for MC&T as an outlet to geek out over cool cars, trucks, and utility vehicles.

Originally from California Cody has an appreciation for all-electric vehicles but a soft spot for the rumble of an all-American V8 muscle car. His dream car remains a 2007 Ford Mustang Bullitt. His fascination with all things cars stems from countless trips to car shows and watching car movies, of course.

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