It’s almost February, which means that if Rivian is going to host its R2 reveal event in March, we should expect the leaks to start springing soon. And, at least looking at a new patent application, that might be exactly what’s happening this week.
Rivian’s upcoming R2 electric vehicle has been under wraps for years now, and even though we know the company is building a giant plant in Atlanta, Georgia, and that the company plans to host a reveal event in March, we still don’t know what the new vehicle will look like…until now.
In a patent application spotted by Electrek, we may have our first look at what we can expect from the design of the R2. While the patent application is about a new light accessory that could be mounted on the roof rack of the company’s electric trucks and SUVs, the image of the SUV depicted in the application looks a little different than the R1S that is currently available.
Specifically, the vehicle depicted in the image below features different headlamps and a more compact design than the 3-row SUV we know and love.
While the image above could show off what we can expect from the design of the R2 SUV, the image in the patent for the truck looks strikingly similar to the current R1T. The only potential difference I can spot right away is what could be a lack of the beloved gear tunnel (otherwise, that is an enormous door for a gear tunnel).
The R2 is expected to launch in 2026 at a starting price of $40,000, almost half of what the company’s vehicles start at right now. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has referred to the R2 as Rivian’s Model 3 moment — indicating that it anticipates many more sales of the R2 in comparison to its higher-end models.
If this patent image is what we can expect from the design of the R2, I’m sold. I’ve been hoping that the next-generation vehicle would be a more compact version of the R1S but retain what makes a Rivian a Rivian. As someone who will be coming from a Subaru Crosstrek, this is the electric jump I’m ready to make.
While it has yet to be officially announced, the company is anticipated to host an event in Laguna Beach, California on March 7th, per documents released from a recent city council meeting. This could be the R2 reveal that we’ve all been waiting for…after this potential reveal that came from a patent. I’m sure the event will be more exciting.
