Rivian on Friday offered the primary tease of its R2, a smaller follow-up to the automaker’s R1T electrical pickup and R1S electrical SUV due in 2026.

CEO RJ Scaringe and design boss Jeff Hammoud confirmed a clay mannequin of the R2 below a sheet throughout an Instagram query and reply session with Scaringe. Content material from the Q&A was posted to Instagram Tales, which disappear after 24 hours except the content material is reshaped elsewhere. We grabbed a screenshot in case that does not occur.

The lined clay mannequin has the identical boxy profile because the R1S SUV, but it surely seems to be a bit smaller. That strains up with earlier reviews, which point out a smaller mannequin that carries over the R1S styling, however in a smaller package deal nearer to the present Jeep Grand Cherokee in measurement.

2022 Rivian R1S

The R2 is anticipated to be a higher-volume mannequin with a decrease base worth than the R1 fashions, which at present begin at $79,000 and $84,000 (earlier than vacation spot) for the R1T and R1S, respectively. Scaringe earlier this yr mentioned Rivian is simplifying meeting and elements sourcing for the R2, which ought to assist preserve prices down. Rivian initially deliberate to launch the R2 in 2025, however final yr it introduced that the launch can be delayed until 2026.

The R2 is anticipated to be constructed at Rivian’s new Georgia factory to complement its present Illinois manufacturing unit, which is a repurposed facility beforehand utilized by Mitsubishi. Situated east of Atlanta, the $5 billion Georgia plant was on account of begin building this yr, with the primary automobiles rolling off manufacturing strains in 2024, but it surely’s unclear if the loss of tax breaks from the state authorities will have an effect on that timeline.

Rivian has additionally indicated plans for smaller EVs targeting China and Europe, but it surely’s unclear if that refers back to the R2 or different future fashions. Rivian in 2021 trademarked a number of names, giving it management of R1S to R5S and R1T to R5T.

Rivian R1T pre-production

In the identical Q&A, Scaringe additionally addressed the dearth of the Tank Turn function in present manufacturing Rivian automobiles. Rivian first confirmed the function, which permits a quad-motor R1T or R1S to show in place like a tank, in 2019. A patent software for a seemingly associated “K-turn mode” surfaced in 2021. However the Tank Flip function has now been shelved, Scaringe confirmed, as a result of it would not match with Rivian’s ethos.

“Over the past yr and a half we have arrived on the view that it is a function that, whereas we are able to do it, it is so simply abused and so laborious to verify we do not tear up trails and actually do issues which might be in distinction to what we stand for as an organization,” Scaringe mentioned.