Rivian’s CEO said he didn’t want his latest R2 to look like the Tesla Model Y — for numerous reasons.
In a “Masters of Scale” interview released on Thursday, CEO RJ Scaringe spoke about Rivian’s latest R2 SUV, which is its cheapest electric car yet. Rivian started deliveries of the car on Tuesday.
Scaringe mentioned two main reasons the R2 looks and feels nothing like the other affordable EV option in the US, Tesla’s Model Y.
The first was what he called an “extreme lack of choice” for EVs under $50,000 in the US. He said Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 make up the bulk of the EV market in the country, which he said was a “reflection of a market that’s wildly underserved.”
Scaringe said that while Tesla’s models are “great vehicles,” customers need choices.
“Not everyone is going to want that exact shape, that exact form factor, that exact look. And so Rivian can do a part in that,” he said.
The second reason he brought up was that he wanted R2 to be its own product. He said he’s seen other players fail while competing with Tesla, by making “Model Y copies” instead of “having deep conviction around building a product that’s linked to your brand.”
“And the unfortunate thing about that is, if you want to buy a Tesla Model Y, you don’t want XYZ company’s version of a Model Y. You’ll just get the Model Y,” he added.
Scaringe previously told Business Insider that the R2 EV would be Rivian’s “inflection point,” shaping the brand’s future. There are three versions of the car: “Standard,” “Premium,” and “Performance.”
According to the automaker’s website, only the “Performance” version, starting at $57,990, is now being delivered. The $44,990 “Standard” version will start delivery in 2027, while the $53,990 “Premium” will arrive later this year.
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