Rivian sets official launch date for Rivian R2

About two years ago, in March 2024, Rivian showed off its compact SUV, the Rivian R2, for the first time.

Now, it's finally time for the R2 to hit the roads.

In a blog post dated Wednesday, Rivian announced the official launch date for the R2 is June 9. The car itself isn't much of a surprise, given that it could be configured and pre-ordered for a while now, but this is the date when pre-orders turn into orders, and first customer deliveries begin.

For the folks who pre-ordered the R2, this means the company will send invitations to actually order the car soon. How soon? Well, that depends on several factors, including the date and time when they first reserved the vehicle, as well as delivery location (areas surrounding Rivian Service and Demo Centers are likely to get an order invitation sooner).

The launch comes with some caveats, though. The first vehicle available to order will be the Rivian R2 Performance with Launch Package. The R2 Premium Trim will arrive "in late 2026," while the Standard trim will follow in 2027.

Once a customer has had their order confirmed, they can expect a delivery "within 2-6 weeks," Rivian said.

The folks interested in testing out the R2 will be able to book a demo drive at Rivian Spaces, starting June 9.

The Rivian R2 is a smaller car than the company's first SUV, the massive R1S, and it falls under the mid-size electric SUV category where it battles against Tesla Model Y, among (many) other competitors. It starts at $48,490, but that's for the Standard trim, which doesn't come until 2027. The one that's available now, the Rivian R2 Performance, starts at $57,990, and comes with an all-wheel drive system, Rivian's Automony+ driver assistance package, and an estimated EPA range of 330 miles.

For people in Europe, it's worth noting that, earlier this year, Rivian has quietly delayed its European launch timeline for the R2 from 2027 to an unspecified date. The company offered no further news about the European launch on its website.