One of the first Rivian R2 SUVs to roll off the production line has reportedly been spotted at a charging station in Nebraska over the weekend, suggesting that employee production of the company’s most important model has begun.
Rivian‘s mid-size SUV — which will have a base version starting from $45,000 but not before late 2027 — is described by the management as crucial to reach a much wider segment and to reach profitability in the long term.
First reported on Saturday on the Rivian Forums by a user named ‘schwartz83’, who said they pulled into a charger and recognised the vehicle as an R2.
Rivian R2 — one of the very first produced — was spotted charing in Kearney, Nebraska, being driven cross-country from the company’s factory in Normal, Illinois, to California by a Rivian employee.
The driver identified it as VIN number five and said it came off the production line on Friday, with the team departing on Saturday morning.
“The guy we talked to was great. Very friendly and willing to answer questions that he could. Offered to let us sit in it as long as we didn’t take pictures,” the forum user wrote. “We didn’t take him up on it.”
The vehicle was a Glacier White R2 equipped with all-terrain tyres.
The driver was identified as a Rivian employee based in Irvine, California — the company’s headquarters.
Employee Deliveries Underway
The sighting confirms that Rivian’s employee delivery programme for the R2 is now imminent or even already active.
As of press time, Rivian had not announced the start of — internal — deliveries.
Last Thursday, the company emailed all employees about an R2 employee delivery programme for Launch Edition vehicles, as first reported by the owner and content creator Chris Hilbert, citing multiple sources.
Both Rivian and Rivian-VW Technologies Group joint venture employees are eligible.
Rivian‘s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid said last month that employees would receive the first R2 units and drive them for a few months before external customer deliveries begin.
Contacted by EV, Rivian did not immediately answer when questioned if production had already begun.
The low VIN number confirms that R2 production is in its earliest phase, with only a handful of vehicles completed as of last week.
The R2 will be produced at Rivian‘s sole manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois — the same plant that builds the R1T pickup, R1S SUV, and commercial delivery vans.
A 1.1 million-square-foot manufacturing expansion and an adjacent 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park dedicated to R2 production are both on schedule, according to the company’s first-quarter production report published last week.
What Comes Next
Rivian has said that customer deliveries of the R2 will begin by the “end of spring” — a timeline that extends through June 21.
The company told local outlet WGLT during a plant tour that first customer deliveries were “expected by June,” while a customer email sent to reservation holders indicated that the online configurator would open and they would see their “estimated time to order” in June.
Rivian has also begun taking the R2 on a cross-country viewing tour across seven US cities, starting in California. Demo drives are expected to begin this summer, with demo vehicles arriving at select Rivian Spaces around July
The R2 Performance Launch Edition at $57,990 is the first trim to reach customers, followed by a Premium variant at $53,990 in late 2026. The entry-level Standard at $45,000 is not expected until late 2027.
Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough said the complexity of launching the R2 would pressure automotive gross margins in the second and third quarters before becoming a benefit in the fourth quarter as volumes scale.
The company has guided for between 62,000 and 67,000 total vehicle deliveries in 2026, of which the R2 is expected to account for approximately 20,000 to 25,000 units.
