Production of the Rivian R2 has begun despite hurricane damage to the plant

Rivian rolled its first customer-ready R2 SUV off the production line at its factory in Normal, Illinois, just days after it was hit by an EF-1 tornado that tore off part of the roof.

Despite the damage, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday morning that Rivian does not expect any delays in the rollout of the R2, which is critical to the company’s survival.

“The tornado passed through the south end of the plant, tore off the roof of the building, and destroyed some parts of the plant as well, so the last 72 hours have been around the clock,” he said. Scaringe explained that Rivian had to change how and where some materials were brought into the factory to build the R2.

But we are not making any changes to the plan, he said, referring to the company’s production roadmap.

Scaringe was not asked when Rivian would deliver the first R2 deliveries during the interview. The company previously said it would start shipping the R2 SUV before the end of the first half of 2026.

Bringing the R2 into production is a major milestone for the company. It’s the first production vehicle made by Rivian and has a chance to reach mass-market customers, as it costs significantly less than the company’s current R1 EVs. It should also help the company finally reach profitability after years of losing money on every car it sold.

The company has high expectations for R2. Rivian told investors earlier this year that it expects to deliver between 20,000 and 25,000 of the SUVs by the end of 2026. If Rivian achieves that, it will become one of the fastest-expanding new electric vehicles ever launched in the U.S., second only to the Tesla Model Y.

However, Rivian is launching with a version of the R2 that costs nearly $13,000 more than the $45,000 price tag the company has spent years promoting. The R2 Launch Edition starts at US$57,990, with a slightly cheaper US$53,990 version expected by the end of this year. Rivian won’t sell the R2 for less than $50,000 until the first half of 2027, and the true base model that starts at $45,000 won’t hit the market until late 2027.

That’s if the $45,000 R2 ever reaches it. When Rivian announced pricing for the SUV in March, the company said the base model would start at “around $45,000” — not “at $45,000” as it promoted on its website as recently as February.