Rivian‘s Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe shared new footage from the company’s Normal, Illinois, plant on Saturday showing R2 bodies moving through automated assembly equipment as the EV maker prepares for its most important launch yet.
“We’re running our bodies through our automated hang-on line,” Scaringe said in a video posted on X.
“Hang the doors, hang the hood, and the lift gate robotically, which is different than how we did it on the R1. It allows us to eventually control them perfectly,” Rivian‘s founder and CEO added.
Scaringe said the production quality of the pilot units is meeting expectations.
“The fit and finish is beautiful,” Scaringe said. “We were just over in General Assembly where we’re building vehicles with these finished bodies, and since painted. We can’t wait to get these to customers, and I’m so excited seeing all the progress our teams are making.”
Hundreds of Pilot Units Built
Rivian said in September that “hundreds of production-intent builds” had rolled off its pilot line in Normal, with the vehicles currently undergoing road testing in preparation for full-scale production.
The company will continue running vehicles through its plant using full production equipment and processes through the year end.
“In the early part of next year, we’ll transition from non-saleable units, which we consume internally, to then units that are saleable to consumers,” Scaringe said earlier this year.
First deliveries remain on track for the first half of 2026, with an R2 variant equipped with LiDAR for higher levels of autonomy expected to arrive late next year — as announced at the recent Autonomy & AI Day event.
The R2 will not receive its LiDAR hardware until months after the initial launch, and Rivian does not plan to offer an upgrade path for early adopters, InsideEVs reported earlier this week, citing a company spokesperson.
Launch Configuration
The Irvine, California-based company is pinning its hopes on the more affordable mid-size SUV, with the entry-level variant planned to start at $45,000.
However, Rivian is expected to begin production with a higher trim before scaling up capacity.
Scaringe said earlier this year the company has spent “a lot of time really thinking around what’s the right version to launch with,” noting that the EV maker will limit variants during the initial production ramp.
“This is a classic challenge because of the thousands and thousands of people that are excited for R2 — some will want the most base version, the lowest price version,” Scaringe said. “Others are going to want the highest-end version. Some will want something in the middle.”
Without revealing pricing, the CEO confirmed the launch variant will be a dual-motor configuration positioned as a mid-level trim.
“It’s well-appointed, but it’s not intended to be our most expensive version,” Scaringe said. “It is intended to be a very nicely set up vehicle, which we think will make the most people the most happy.”
Rivian will host a dedicated event “in the early part of next year” to disclose all R2 variants and their respective pricing, according to the CEO.
