Rivian’s R2 Garners Over 100,000 Pre-Orders With Plans For Its Own User Interface

Rivian has announced that pre-orders for its upcoming R2 electric vehicle (EV) have surpassed 100,000 and continue to climb after four months since its unveiling with a starting price of $45,000. 

Tim Fallon, Rivian’s Vice President of Manufacturing, revealed the pre-order numbers during the company’s third annual Family and Friends Day at its Normal, Illinois plant stating, “We’re well over 100,000 pre-orders for R2, and those continue to climb — really climb organically.” 

The R2 model, aimed for production in early 2026, is positioned to compete with popular SUV models in the EV market. At 4,715 mm long and 1,700 mm tall, the R2 is smaller than Rivian’s R1S but comparable in size to the Tesla Model Y. Moreover, the company plans to produce around 155,000 R2 units annually at its Normal plant, which is expected to reach a total capacity of 215,000 units by 2026.

Read More: Rivian Outlines Roadmap And Cost-Cutting Measures At 2024 Investor Day

Rivian Ruling Out Apple CarPlay

Aside from its impressive pre-order numbers, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has definitively ruled out Apple CarPlay integration for the company’s EVs. In a recent interview with The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Scaringe expressed the company’s goal to controlling its own user interface ecosystem.

“We have a great relationship with Apple. As much as I love their products, there’s a reason that ironically is very consistent with Apple ethos for us to want to control the ecosystem,” Scaringe stated.

Interestingly, the choice to forego Apple CarPlay aligns Rivian with other automakers including Tesla and GM, who have opted to develop their own in-house infotainment systems. Moreover, Scaringe explained that adopting Apple CarPlay would require multiple tap-throughs for Rivian owners and passengers to use both Apple’s API and Rivian’s software and that it cannot “leverage other parts of the vehicle experience.”

While acknowledging that it will take time to fully capture every feature available in CarPlay, Scaringe expressed confidence in Rivian’s ability to deliver a user interface specifically tailored to its EVs. Notably, he noted that the company is actively working on better integration with texting and other features to improve the user experience.

As Rivian continues to expand its EV lineup and refine its technological features, the strong pre-order numbers for the R2 and the company’s dedication to in-house software development signal strong growth for the company in an increasingly competitive EV market.

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