Rivian has started manufacturing Validation Units (MV) of the R2 five-seat electric SUV. Production will take place at the automaker’s plant in Normal, Illinois, which was expanded by an additional 1.1 million square feet to accommodate the new assembly lines. This milestone follows the earlier Design Validation (DV) phase, which was completed in mid-2025.
MV builds test everything from panel fit and finish and paint quality to the electrical systems (including motors and battery pack) and software that holds everything together in electric vehicles. These are almost finished vehicles with production-ready specifications.
Rivian R2 is finally one step closer to delivery
Rivian R2’s entry into the MV phase signals that engineering, software integration and production methods are largely complete. The cars produced in this phase are used to test the hardware and software in the real world and to recalibrate anything that still needs to be worked on before the model goes on sale.
After overcoming the production challenges with R1T and R1S (including quality control issues, supplier instability and cost pressures), the transition from R2 to MV shows that the company has overcome the initial challenges and strengthened its credibility.
If you are a potential electric vehicle buyer and are looking for an affordable yet well-equipped vehicle, the Rivian R2 should definitely be on your radar. Now that the vehicle has reached the final development phase, the automaker is one step closer to the first deliveries.
RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian, shared the update via his official X account (formerly Twitter), expressing his excitement to “begin shipping to customers soon.” Next, the model would undergo regulatory testing, perform further validation builds to incorporate any necessary changes, and be gradually moved into mass production.
The company announced the Rivian R2 for the first time in 2024. If all goes well, the company could fulfill its promise to deliver the vehicle in the first half of 2026, potentially starting deliveries at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter.
