Rivian started building the R2 for customers in Illinois

Rivian said on April 22, 2026, that customer production of its R2 electric SUV had begun at its plant in Normal, Illinois. At that point, the company presented production as the final step before deliveries later in the spring. The milestone mattered because a vehicle reveal and a vehicle reaching buyers are separate stages, with different risks and timelines. ^[1]

By August 7, Rivian reported that R2 vehicles were reaching driveways in the United States. Its ownership guide described an invitation and ordering process for reservation holders, so having a reservation did not mean every customer would receive a vehicle immediately. The company’s update is evidence of deliveries, not an independently verified count of vehicles delivered. ^[2]

Charging is a practical part of evaluating a new EV. Rivian’s charging guidance distinguishes the built-in connector on newer vehicles from adapters used by certain earlier vehicles at Tesla Superchargers. Buyers should check the connector, their specific vehicle’s compatibility, and the station listed for their route before assuming a stop will work. ^[3]

The R2 milestone is also a manufacturing story: building customer vehicles requires the factory to move beyond prototypes. Rivian’s statements establish that production began and later deliveries occurred; they do not establish how the vehicle performs in independent road testing or when any particular reservation will be fulfilled. ^{[1] [2]}

No first-hand reporting, independent testing or interviews are claimed. Editorial standards · Corrections policy.