Rivian R2

Bad news for Rivian fans—especially those in Vancouver. The highly anticipated R2 prototype, which was supposed to make an appearance at the Vancouver Auto Show, was damaged while in transit. Rivian shared the unfortunate update on Instagram, explaining that the vehicle had just wrapped up a stint at SXSW in Austin before the incident occurred. Right now, it looks like Rivian only has one R2 prototype making the rounds, so this could mean a major delay in seeing it again…

Rivian just dropped some cool news about the R2—it’s getting some serious upgrades in how it’s built. RJ Scaringe confirmed they’re using large high-pressure die castings throughout the body, and in the rear alone, they’ve cut down 50 separate stampings and over 300 joints to just three big castings. What does that mean? Basically, fewer parts, a simpler build, and likely a lighter, stronger, and more efficient vehicle. Tesla’s been doing something similar with their Gigacasting, and now Rivian is bringing its own version to…

Rivian’s R2 is shaping up to be a game-changer, and CEO RJ Scaringe just shared a key upgrade. The new Maximus drive unit uses continuous winding in the stator, cutting welds per stator assembly from 264 (on Enduro) to just 24. Fewer welds mean faster production, lower costs, and improved reliability—exactly what Rivian needs to make the R2 more affordable. With innovations like this, Rivian is clearly pushing to optimize efficiency while keeping performance high.

Rivian hasn’t shared an update on R2 reservation numbers since July 2024, when Rivian VP of Manufacturing Tim Fallon said they had “well over 100,000.” Since then, nothing. It’s not because demand is weak—it’s actually the opposite. But there are a few smart reasons why they’re keeping quiet. First, there’s the investor angle. Big reservation numbers sound great, but they also bring pressure. If Rivian announced 300,000 reservations, people would immediately ask: “Can they actually build that many?” By keeping…