Rivian has unveiled the R2, its next-generation platform. The all-electric crossover is expected to bring Rivian into the next chapter of its growth as an automaker. It is also expected to allow Rivian to scale its operations, making it a mainstream automaker.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe presented the R2 to an enthusiastic audience. Following is a quick overview of the Rivian R2.
Exterior
The Rivian R2 looks very similar to the Rivian R1S. Just like the flagship SUV, it features a large frunk that could fit some luggage and gear. At the rear, the R2 includes some features that provide an open-air experience, such as quarter windows that pop out and a rear glass window that drops down. The drop-down rear glass of the R2 also makes loading items to the all-electric crossover’s trunk much easier.
Introducing R2.
⚡️0-60 under 3 seconds.
⚡️Up to 300+ miles of range.
⚡️Room for five and all your gear.
Reserve yours now: https://t.co/1H408AWcA4
Deliveries expected to begin in the first half of 2026. The features, options and digital displays shown are subject to… pic.twitter.com/xC5ZjyaoCL— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
Size-wise, Scaringe noted that the Rivian R2 is about 400 mm (15.7 inches) shorter than the R1S. A slide used in the presentation noted that the R2 has a length of 4715 mm (185.6 inches), a height of 1700 mm (66 inches), and a wheelbase of 2935 mm (115.5 inches). This should make the all-electric crossover easier to maneuver and drive. Its compact size should also help it fit in tight spaces and garages.
Interior
The Rivian executive noted that despite its more compact dimensions compared to the R1S, the R2 is designed to feel spacious inside. “It feels so inviting,” Scaringe said. Like the R1T and R1S that came before it, the R2 is also a vehicle that’s designed to be taken outdoors. It was thus no surprise to see that the R2’s second and first-row seats are capable of folding flat for an optimal car camping experience.
Take a 360-degree tour of R2. pic.twitter.com/euyJkScRYq— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
Much to the amusement of the audience, Scaringe noted that the R2 features two gloveboxes and Rivian’s trademark in-door flashlight. Steering wheel controls are dominated by two large scroll wheels, which is not unlike what’s used in the previous generation Tesla Model 3. Scaringe also noted that the R2 features 11 cameras and a suite of five radar sensors, four in the corners and one long range radar in front. The cameras and radar should help the Rivian R2’s planned self-driving features.
Specs
Scaringe did not share much about the Rivian R2’s specs, though he did state that the vehicle would be equipped with a battery pack comprised of 4695 cylindrical cells, which are larger than the 21 mm cells used in the R1 platform. It should also be noted that the Rivian R2 will feature a structural bombardment pack, which means that the top of the battery will be the floor of the vehicle itself.
Every seat in R2 can lay flat for the ultimate car camping experience. pic.twitter.com/hDH3c17y5N— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
The Rivian R2 will be offered in three versions: a Single Motor Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) variant, a Dual Motor All Wheel Drive (AWD) variant, and a Tri-Motor variant with two motors on the back and one motor at the front. Scaringe noted that all three R2 variants are expected to achieve over 300 miles of range. The Tri-Motor R2 is expected to achieve a 0-60 mph time of less than 3 seconds.
Price and Release Date
The Rivian R2 is expected to start at $45,000. While Scaringe did not discuss details on the vehicle’s pricing, this amount is likely true for the entry-level RWD version. Still, $45,000 is quite competitive, as the Tesla Model Y, a best-selling all-electric crossover, starts at $43,990 before options today.
Feel the breeze from all directions with the R2’s 360-degree open air experience, including powered rear glass. pic.twitter.com/GMKOEg5HpW— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
Scaringe noted that the Rivian R2 is expected to start deliveries in the second half of 2026. The vehicle will initially be built at Rivian’s Normal, IL facility.
Watch Rivian’s R2 unveiling in the video below.
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Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
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Tesla Cybercab event gains steam ahead of massive launch
Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.
Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.
The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 2, 2026
The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.
However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.
No steering wheel, no pedals
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) September 2, 2026
Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.
Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.
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SpaceX tells the FCC that Starship Flight 14 is going to orbit
SpaceX filed with the FCC for Starship Flight 14, its first true orbital launch attempt.
SpaceX has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to fly Starlink terminals during Starship’s fourteenth flight test, and the filing lays out a genuine trip to orbit, something the program has never attempted.
Every Starship flight so far, including Flight 13’s successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean on July 24, has flown a suborbital arc that ends with the ship reentering the atmosphere within the same hour it launches. The FCC paperwork describes a mission profile built around an actual orbital insertion instead.
The payload is the other half of the story. Flight 13 carried 20 production Starlink V3 satellites, but because that mission never reached orbit, the satellites reentered along with the ship rather than joining the constellation, something Teslarati covered in detail after SpaceX released footage shot from one of those satellites as it drifted away from Starship in space. Flight 14 is designed to close that gap. If the orbital insertion holds, the roughly 20 V3 satellites onboard would separate into an operational orbit and could eventually go into service, each one rated for about 1 terabit per second of downlink capacity by SpaceX’s own account.
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
Elon Musk first flagged the orbital attempt during SpaceX’s August 4 earnings call, the company’s first as a public entity following its June IPO under the ticker SPCX. He also floated catching the ship with the Starbase tower on the same flight, an idea he walked back on August 20, saying the catch attempt would more likely come “in a few months,” as Teslarati reported at the time. Flight 14 will instead target a splashdown for the ship in the Indian Ocean, the same recovery method used since Flight 12.
Hardware has been catching up to the ambition. Booster 21 completed a full 33-engine static fire on August 28, and Ship 41 finished its own six-engine test the week before. An airspace briefing circulated to pilots on August 20 listed September 15 as the target date, later than the end of August window Musk mentioned on the earnings call, though SpaceX has not confirmed a launch date publicly and Starship schedules routinely slip while hardware and FAA paperwork line up.
The FCC filing itself does not guarantee a launch date. It covers communications authority, and not flight readiness, considering SpaceX still needs Ship 41 fully stacked and cleared by the FAA before Flight 14 can fly. But the filing is a real marker of intent and it puts a specific regulatory process behind what had so far only been Musk’s word on the earnings call.