EV maker Rivian is set to “share full details” of its upcoming R2 model at the 2026 SXSW Music Festival & Conference scheduled for next month.
The event, sponsored by the company for the second consecutive year, will be held between March 12 and 18.
The festival’s opening day aligns with the launch date for the model, revealed by Rivian on February 10.
The matching date was first hinted at by Rivian owner and enthusiast Chris Hilbert, who wrote in an X post on the same day that he expected “SXSW to be the big R2 reveal to the world based on the timing announced” by the company.
As it did last year, Rivian invited festival attendees to visit its “Electric Roadhouse” in the Austin Space and “get a chance to meet our newest vehicle, R2.”
In the 2025 edition, the company founded and led by RJ Scaringe showcased an early version of the R2 prototype.
On Monday, X user ‘JoshWest247’ shared several photos showing that the renovations to the Austin showroom — in preparation for the upcoming event — have been completed.
R2 Launch Details
R2 production will debut at Rivian‘s plant in Normal, after plans to start in Georgia were delayed due to construction setbacks at that facility.
Manufacturing operations will begin with a single shift, with Rivian expecting to “add a second shift towards the end of the year,” the company’s CFO Claire McDonough said in the recent earnings conference call.
The model will launch with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) variant, priced above the entry-level $45,000 reiterated by the company throughout the past year.
Although Rivian has not confirmed if that version will be available before the end of the year, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe told CNBC earlier this month that the variant will be launched “shortly thereafter.”
The media embargo on the first reviews of the R2 SUV was also lifted on February 10.
Automotive reviewer Doug DeMuro said he has seen the R2’s pricing and described it as “quite compelling,” adding that the knowledge made him even more positive about the vehicle.
Sales Expectations
Rivian delivered a total of 42,247 electric vehicles between January and December 2025.
Upon reporting its fourth quarter earnings earlier this month, Rivian issued a delivery guidance of between 62,000 and 67,000 vehicles for 2026.
The company said the target includes the R1 models, the commercial electric delivery van, and the upcoming R2.
Management said it expects R1S, R1T and EDV deliveries to remain “roughly in line with our 2025 total volumes.”
The calculations indicate that Rivian is expecting to deliver approximately 19,700 to 24,700 R2 vehicles this year.
Texas Presence
Rivian has been rapidly expanding its Texas network, with a second service and sales center planned for Austin.
According to documents from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the proposed facility in Round Rock will cover 46,000 square feet and require an investment of $9.5 million.
The company’s service network in Texas spans Austin, Dallas and Houston, with locations in Katy and San Antonio having recently opened.
Rivian also launched a service and demo center in Fort Worth, converting a former Tesla location into a facility that combines vehicle servicing, showroom displays and test drives.
The EV maker is further investing $10 million in a new parts distribution center there.
The distribution hub represents Rivian‘s effort to strengthen its supply chain as the company prepares to start R2 production at the Illinois plant and begins construction of a second factory in Georgia.
It will connect its manufacturing footprint in the Midwest with its community nationwide.
Up until the end of 2027, Rivian plans to operate over 150 Service Centers across North America.
It is further expanding its remote service operations and increasing its Mobile Service fleet throughout this year, it said in a blog post on Monday.
