Rivian Rolls Out First R2 SUVs Despite Tornado Damage at Illinois Factory

Rivian has rolled the first customer-ready R2 SUVs 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 Television on Wednesday morning that Rivian doesn't expect any delays to the R2's rollout, which is crucial to the company's survival. "The tornado went through the south end of the plant, and ripped the roof off the building, and knocked down some of the plant as well, and so the last 72 hours have been around the clock," he said. Scaringe explained that Rivian has had to change how and where it brings some materials into the factory to build the R2. But "we're not making any changes to the plan," he said, referring to the company's production roadmap. Scaringe wasn't asked when Rivian will make the first R2 deliveries during the interview. The company has previously said it will start shipping R2 SUVs before the first half of 2026 comes to an end. Getting the R2 into production is a major milestone for the company. It's the first production vehicle Rivian has made that has a chance to reach mass-market customers, as it costs far less than the company's current R1 EVs. It's also supposed to help the company finally reach profitability after years of losing money on every vehicle it sold. The company has big expectations for the 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 would become one of the fastest-scaling new EVs ever launched in the U.S., second only to Tesla's Model Y. That said, Rivian is launching with a version of the R2 that costs nearly $13,000 more than the $45,000 price tag the company spent years promoting. The launch edition R2 starts at $57,990, with a slightly cheaper $53,990 variant coming by the end of this year. Rivian won't sell an R2 for under $50,000 until the first half of 2027, and a true base model starting at $45,000 won't hit the market until late 2027. And that's if the $45,000 R2 ever arrives at all. When Rivian announced pricing for the SUV in March, the company said the base model price will start "around $45,000" — not "at $45,000" as it had promoted on its website as recently as February.