Rivian R2 to bring two new changes in charging port and seats

The upcoming Rivian R2 electric SUV will bring two new changes in the charging port and seats compared to the earlier design showcased in March.

Let’s start with the charging port. Rivian R2 was showcased with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard supported port. It is the only port for customers in this EV with a NACS to CCS charging adapter.

Last year, Tesla and Rivian partnered for NACS technology. A few months ago, Rivian launched CCS to NACS adapter for R1S and R1T. Despite NACS support, the port’s position in these two flagship models is incompatible with a Supercharger.

This is due to R1 vehicles being manufactured with a CCS port and it’s placed on the front left of the car. Meanwhile, Superchargers are designed with a cable to the rear left (reversed) or on the right side (front).

R2 was unveiled with a new charging port on the rear right side, which is still an inconvenient NACS port location. This decision has attracted a Tesla engineer, Wes Morrill.

Morrill said that Rivian should move its NACS port to the front of the car. However, Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe connected this decision, to put a port on the rear right, with cost savings.

Rivian recently showcased R2 at a Pasadena, California event and confirmed that the charge port will move to the rear left. If so, the change will make the car fully compatible with a supercharger similar to a Tesla model.

Also, R2 is still under production preparations for 2026 and any change in design can be adjusted in the manufacturing pipeline.

Seats

During the unveiling event, RJ Scaringe confirmed that all seats on R2 can fall flat to the front. New sources revealed that the company has changed its stance on this matter and the front two seats won’t fall flat.

Instead, the Illinois-based automaker can improvise this plan with an increased slide range for the seats to move forward.

Rivian R2 (Image Credit: Rivian)

Rivian CEO has introduced this feature as one of the key changes in the interior but eventually, it will be dropped.

R2 is the first Rivian vehicle that will start at $45,000 and it comes with different motor setups with a new mid-size electric vehicle platform. The company taking reservations for this EV and will start deliveries in 2026.