The R2 is nearly here — can Rivian stick the landing?
TL;DR
Rivian's new R2 SUV, priced under $50,000, is crucial for the company's survival and potential to challenge Tesla's dominance in the EV market.
On Thursday, Rivian revealed its most important vehicle to date: the R2, a midsize SUV that eventually will start at under $50,000. As a distinctive EV with an attractive sticker price, the R2 is designed to take Rivian to the next level. In fact, the company is banking on it. If they succeed, then Rivian would be well positioned to usurp Tesla's status as the most important EV company in America. If it doesn't, the company may simply cease to exist.
I'm not trying to be overly dramatic. The R2 is increasingly looking like the lone survivor in an apocalyptic wasteland, traveling down a path lined with the corpses of EV programs that had the …