Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is all in on Rivian's R2. On Tuesday, he took to X to celebrate the production ramp of the crossover SUV at Rivian's plant in Normal, Illinois — a facility that once belonged to Mitsubishi and sat idle for a decade before Rivian breathed new life into it.
"Made in Illinois," Pritzker wrote. "Creating jobs in Central Illinois, strengthening our manufacturing, and leading the pack in the EV industry."
In a separate post, Pritzker shared a video with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who said he was "excited" to be ramping up R2 production and that the vehicle would help the company "scale the business and go into the mass market." The R2 is widely seen as a direct competitor to Tesla's Model Y.
The governor didn't just talk the talk — he put his money where his mouth is. "I know a lot of people who have put in their deposit for the R2, including myself," Pritzker said. "I'm in line too. Today's a big day for Rivian. It's a big day for the state of Illinois."
Rivian's R2 is generating serious buzz. During the company's first-quarter 2026 earnings call, management said customer deliveries would begin in the "coming weeks." The company produced 10,236 vehicles in Q1 and delivered 10,365. But there's a catch: more than half of Rivian's automotive revenue — about $468 million of the $908 million total — came from selling fleet vans to Amazon. That's a reminder that Rivian's consumer business still has room to grow.
Early reviews of the R2 have been positive. YouTuber Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, called it a potential successor to the Tesla Model Y. That's high praise for a vehicle that's trying to carve out a slice of the lucrative compact SUV market.
As for Rivian's stock, it dipped 2.92% in pre-market trading on Wednesday to $12.96. According to MarketDash data, Rivian offers satisfactory momentum and a favorable price trend in both the short and long term.
With Pritzker's endorsement and a growing list of reservation holders, the R2 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for Rivian — and for Illinois.
