Rivian's new Stories post on Adventure Network scaling mostly recaps things R1 owners already know, with one exception. The underground work at most existing RAN sites is already done, so adding new stalls becomes a hardware drop instead of a months-long construction project.
Rivian is exploring a way to manufacture its own lidar sensors in the United States, possibly through a joint venture using Chinese technology. If the plan lands, the R2 would become the first mass-market American EV fitted with a domestically built lidar unit, and it would mark another step in Rivian's push to bring more of its critical tech stack in-house.
RJ Scaringe confirmed to Reuters that Rivian is working on undisclosed R2 variants, even floating the R2X by name before catching himself and saying he didn't want to announce the program. With the Georgia plant being built for flexibility, an R2X performance trim, an R2 RAD Edition, and even a smaller R2T pickup all feel like real possibilities now.
Rivian topped Consumer Reports' Owner Satisfaction rankings for the third year in a row, but didn't pick up a single S&P Global Mobility loyalty award and slipped below average in J.D. Power's premium EV study. Same brand, three of the bigger industry surveys, three different stories, and the reason behind the gap is more interesting than the headlines suggest.
Volkswagen just raised its Rivian stake to 15.9% after another round of share purchases tied to the joint venture's milestone-based structure, putting VW closer than ever to being one of Rivian's most influential outside stakeholders.
Rivian confirmed today that the Cargo Crossbars sold for R1 will not be interchangeable with R2, which is a tough pill for anyone planning to own both trucks given the $700 to $800 price tag on the existing accessory.
Welcome to The Sunday Drive, a new weekly recap rounding up everything from the week in one spot. This first one covers R2 saleable production starting, Q1 2026 earnings, a Georgia plant capacity bump, $1B from VW, and a handful of smaller stories.
The Rivian R2 is meaningfully smaller than the R1S, but the numbers tell a more interesting story than just a shrunken sibling. The R2 is 15 inches shorter, 10 inches lower, and rolls on a tighter wheelbase, yet somehow has more rear legroom than the R1S. Here's the full side-by-side breakdown, including where the R1S still wins.
Rivian's Georgia plant just got a real revision. Phase one capacity is going from 200,000 vehicles a year to 300,000, a 50% jump. The DOE loan also got smaller, from up to $6.6 billion down to up to $4.5 billion. Production is still on track for late 2028, and Rivian now expects to start drawing on the loan by early 2027.
R2 saleable production officially started last week in Normal, the Georgia plant got a 50% capacity bump to 300,000 units annually, and the $1 billion Volkswagen equity investment tied to RV Tech winter testing milestones hit Rivian today. Q1 revenue came in at $1.38 billion with deliveries up 20% year over year to 10,365.
