The Rivian R1T and R1S remain far out of reach for most consumers but the company’s planned ‘R2’ family of models will be more affordable and smaller in size. As Rivian founder RJ Scaringe recently revealed, their upcoming models will also have a much simpler electrical architecture.
While recently speaking on the car manufacturer’s most recent quarterly earnings call, Scaringe noted that the R2’s architecture will have 60% fewer ECUs and that the wiring harness length will be reduced by 25%. The car manufacturer will be able to do this by developing in-house components rather than using off-the-shelf parts. Rivian’s boss added that it will also consolidate ECUs into vehicle zones.
Read: Rivian R2 SUV To Be Priced From $40,000 To $60,000, We’ll Get Our First Look In 2024
These changes will allow Rivian to save “thousands of dollars” per vehicle Scaringe said and while the new R2 models will be designed to benefit from this new electrical architecture from the outset, the larger R1 models will be updated with the new design early next year, Auto Evolution reports. Rivian is also expected to make further cost savings with a new structural body design for the R2 vehicles and will also sell them with the new Enduro drive units recently introduced on the R1T, R1S, and the firm’s all-electric delivery vehicle.
While speaking with members of the press, Rivian’s vice president of software development Wassym Bensaid added that the new specialized hardware manufactured in-house will give the company better control over the software stake.
The first model in the R2 range is expected to be an SUV dubbed the R2S. This vehicle will adopt a similar design to the R1S but be considerably smaller and closer in size to the Tesla Model Y. It is expected to follow in the adventurous spirit of the R1S with solid off-roading credentials and will be unveiled next year before reaching customers in 2026.
