US start-up Rivian’s Tesla Model Y rival to be unveiled next month

US electric-car start-up Rivian has confirmed its next model – the Tesla Model Y-rivalling R2 SUV – will be unveiled on 7 March 2024, ahead of first deliveries due in 2026.

Whereas previous teasers have focused on the SUV’s boxy silhouette, the latest post to Rivian’s X (formerly Twitter) account simply confirms the unveiling date.

The R2 is expected to launch as the R2S SUV, and sit below the R1S SUV and R1T dual-cab ute in Rivian’s current range. It is unclear if an R2T ute is planned.

The company’s CEO RJ Scaringe previously told the How I Built This podcast the upcoming R2 SUV is estimated be priced from $US45,000 to $US50,000 ($AU70,000 to $AU76,000) – or half of what the cheapest R1T costs in the US. 

Mr Scaringe said he hopes the unveiling of the R2 will be company’s "Model 3 moment" — referring to the mid-size Tesla which took the company from a low-volume luxury-car maker, to a global car giant that now builds nearly 2 million vehicles annually.

The new factory set to produce the R2 will be capable of building 200,000 examples annually by 2026, with plans in place to expand capacity to 400,000 cars per year in the following years. 

It is unclear if the R2 will be built in right-hand drive. To date the Rivian R1S and R1T are only produced in left-hand drive.

The company has previously said it intends to sell its vehicles in Australia, and later that it "can’t wait to meet [its] Australian customers."

In a regulatory filing published in late 2021, Rivian said: "we intend to enter Western European markets in the near term, followed by entry into major Asia-Pacific markets." Australia is a key country in the Asia-Pacific region.