Electric-truck maker Rivian wants to expand with its new R2 vehicle. It sells for about $45,000 compared with an average $90,000 for the flagship R1.
The company on Wednesday conducted briefings and test drives for journalists and analysts at a company facility in Plymouth, Michigan.
The technical details vary in different sections of the vehicle. Overall, though, Rivian sought to reduce cost, pare weight, and cut the number of parts in the R2 while maintaining the basic performance compared with the R1.
Less weight boosts the range of an EV. Rivian also sought to make the R2 easier to assemble.
With the R2, “it was taking the essence of the R1 and distilling it down into a smaller package,” said Greg Dachner, senior vehicle program director for the R2. “We couldn’t make it feel like a cheaper version of the R1.”
The company has a lot riding on the R2.
“The R2 is how Rivian will expand volume,” Stephanie Brinley, automotive analyst at Mobility Global, said in an email. “Rivian has not reported a profitable quarter yet, and part of expanding volume is being able to offer vehicles at a lower price point.”
The R2, she added, “is also a smaller vehicle on a new platform, which requires engineering and investment.”
Brinley attended the Wednesday briefing. “The product is impressive,” she said. “Rivian successfully executed on creating a mid-size car that clearly shares the same thoughtful approach and vision for the brand DNA.”
For the new vehicle, Rivian sought to boost efficiency.
For example, designers found ways to reduce the amount of wiring in the R2 compared with the R1. As part of the Wednesday briefing, Rivian had a display where saved wiring was put into a ball, weighing about 20 kilograms (44 pounds). Also, the R2’s energy management system has fewer parts than the R1.
Rivian said improvements in efficiency developed for the R2 will carry over into future models.
The R2 went on sale in June. Its arrival comes amid a mixed situation for EVs in the U.S.
A $7,500 federal EV credit expired last year. The administration of President Donald Trump isn’t friendly toward EVs. Demand for EVs, while expanding, is not growing as much as anticipated.
“EVs are still an evolving market in the U.S.,” Brinley said. “Rivian is still a young brand and its more likely to attract buyers whom are willing to risk spending money with a brand still getting its financial feet under it.”