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There’s a certain romance in watching a scrappy newcomer climb into the ring with industry titans, and Rivian, despite its glossy tech credentials and Wall Street backers, still has the gleam of a garage-built dream. Its next act, the compact R2 SUV, may well be the slingshot aimed at Tesla’s knees. Smaller, cheaper, and designed to fit in garages that don’t also house snowmobiles or $5,000 e-bikes, the R2 is pitched as Rivian’s Model Y fighter.
What the Numbers Really Mean
But amid the hum of press releases and the pop of champagne corks, some troubling static is coming through, according to the r/Rivian subreddit.
“I test drove an R1S this week, and let the staff know I was planning to wait for the R2. Today I got a follow up email that says…
‘You mentioned that you are leaning more towards the R2 than the R1. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend submitting your refundable $100 deposit here to hop in line – last I checked there were over 200,000 reservations in our system (so exciting!).’
Maybe it’s public knowledge, but this is the first I’m hearing a rough number for R2 reservations.”
That Reddit quote set off a minor earthquake in the subreddit, not because the number is shocking, but because the information can’t be confirmed and multiple salesman are throwing out random figures.
Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe had already confirmed 68,000 reservations within 24 hours of the R2 reveal back in March 2024, and VP of Manufacturing Tim Fallon later put the number north of 100,000 in July. But now sales staff are tossing out figures like
“over 200,000”
One Redditor even claims a rep told them 300,000. As Sparty821 said bluntly,
“I think all the numbers are just made up at this point.”
This matters, not just because of the reservation count’s fuzzy math but because Rivian has built a brand on honesty and earnestness, a kind of Midwestern antidote to Elon’s erratic ego-circus. The R1T and R1S were never meant to be mass-market darlings.
Rivian R2 Key Features and Powertrain Configurations Explained
- The Rivian R2 is a mid-size electric SUV designed to be more accessible, with a starting price of around $45,000, significantly lower than the R1S model.
- The R2 will offer various powertrain configurations, including single-motor rear-wheel drive, dual-motor all-wheel drive, and tri-motor all-wheel drive, catering to different driving preferences.
- Incorporating Rivian’s signature design elements, the R2 includes practical features like full-drop rear windows for an open-air experience and a simplified rear tailgate with an integrated table, enhancing usability while maintaining cost efficiency.
Starting well north of $70K, they are luxury adventure rigs: solid, capable, and styled like a concept vehicle. It’s for the crowd who wouldn’t be caught dead in a Cybertruck, the R1 twins were the real deal. And truthfully? They mostly delivered.
Owners report high satisfaction and a truckload of torque, with the occasional hiccup, early software bugs, delivery delays, and a service network that’s still finding its feet.
But the R2 is Rivian’s real play for the volume game. Priced around $45,000 and sized to take on the Tesla Model Y, it’s aimed at the heart of the American driveway. It’s also being built on Rivian’s new, more cost-effective platform at the forthcoming Georgia factory. This is a clean-sheet attempt to bring Rivian’s trail-happy ethos to the suburban masses. And clearly, it’s striking a chord. Redditor MudaThumpa did the back-of-the-napkin math:
“That’d be about 400 new reservations per day since they confirmed 100,000. Compared to about 800 per day pace for the first 100,000.”
That’s impressive, assuming the numbers are real.
Still, not everyone is buying it. As tygerdralion noted, “Even if there are that many reservations, that doesn’t mean that that many vehicles will be sold. The buy-in for a reservation is low, and I’m sure that there are many people watching for overall reliability of Rivians before actually purchasing.” And they’re right, a $100 refundable deposit is nothing compared to the cost of a vehicle.
Scaling Up Production and Building Customer Trust
To be fair, the startup pains are expected. Even Tesla, in its early years, served customers out of strip malls and shaky promises. And Rivian’s early buyers, by and large, have been forgiving.
Many see themselves as pioneers, willing to suffer through growing pains for the reward of driving something bold and different. But with R2 targeting a broader market, families, commuters, and value-driven buyers, those same bumps in the road may not be overlooked so easily. Scaling is not just about production lines. It’s about reliability, support, and a buyer experience that doesn’t rely on Reddit to fill in the blanks.
There’s also the looming specter of depreciation, especially as technology evolves faster than resale values can keep up. One RivianForums.com commenter wrote,
“Hate to see a $100k car go to $17k in 10 years but I suppose that’s going to be reality. I would probably be happy with a very basic new R2 vs a used R1. I don’t need half the stuff in my R1S.”
The R2 could mark its rise to genuine EV contender status, or it could be the moment the seams start to show. The interest is clearly there. The enthusiasm is real. But so is the skepticism. Whether those 200,000 reservations translate into satisfied customers will depend not on hype but on execution. If Rivian can prove it loves building them as much as its fans love buying them, then maybe the R2 won’t just be a reservation statistic.
Image Source: r/Rivian, Rivian Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
