Buyer Beware: R2 21" Wheels - No tires options other than OEMs

[ksurfier]

By the time most of them need to be replaced, there will be options.

Explain that to the guy in the middle of nowhere that needs a replacement tire and can’t get it…it’s nice to have a size with options if/when you need it…

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[Dark-Fx]

One of the reasons I put 18s on mine.

 

[Zathras]

On a mass market vehicle.. What a not so smart decision.

Speaking of mass market. The R1 is anything but. There will be plenty of options for the R2 because they are going to sell hundreds of thousands of them. Any tire maker with a brain will be ready by the time they’re needed.

 

[sparked]

Serious question is this R1 21” tires version 2.0? Rivian offers 21”, only one tire options is available, everyone buys aftermarket 20” rims and sells the 21” for nothing, and finally Rivian discontinues 21” option…is it possible that this is a supply lever they pull to produce/deliver more vehicles?

They might need to offer 21" for the rubber band look for most buyers of the performance. What we want may not represent the average buyer.

I hope enough buyers keep pestering Rivian to offer All Seasons on the 20" Black sand wheels and maybe Rivian allows that. Although the pressure to do that will go down once Premium is available and people can get the 20" Minecraft wheels.

 

[mkhuffman]

I’ll worry about this in 3-4 yrs.

This is the way.

 

[SANZC02]

Explain that to the guy in the middle of nowhere that needs a replacement tire and can’t get it…it’s nice to have a size with options if/when you need it…

That is why I configured mine with the spare.

As a side note, never really stranded, you can always buy a rim and tire with the same diameter and bolt pattern in a pinch to get you home.

 

[NinjaWrap]

In case you weren't aware, the 21" wheels on the R2 have 255/55R21 tires. I did a search online and did not find a single tire option other than the OEM Pirelli Scorpion MS. Those run ~$450 each. You'll have basically zero options unless/until other manufacturers make this size.

Similar situation happened with the R1 21" wheels 275/55R21 and it took years for other options to become available. Still only have 4-5 options.

Dozens of 255/55R20 tire options for the 20" wheels on the R2. Something to consider when making your purchase.

Same thing happened with my 2009 Honda Fit. Of course later I think other tires were made that size but the first new tires I had to buy were OEM. I don’t understand why manufacturers do this.

 

[FlyingPilot2012]

Going with 20" AT. Prefer the wheel design, thicker tire sidewall, and more replacement options at a cheaper price. Will either replace the AT right away with all-seasons or wait till they wear out if noise/range is acceptable.

 

[cwq93r]

Explain that to the guy in the middle of nowhere that needs a replacement tire and can’t get it…it’s nice to have a size with options if/when you need it…

I guess if you lives in the middle of nowhere, you weren’t getting in our two anytime soon because Ruben is prioritized people living near service centers. Secondly, if you do live in the middle of nowhere, you probably don’t have the best roads, therefore you would choose the 20” wheels in the first place for the all-terrain tires. Lastly, does Tire Rack not ship to the middle of nowhere?

 

[CrazyOne]

I am not buying R2, but I convinced my friend who is, to select 20 ATs. While I was explaining it, even before I finished, he switched his config .

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

Explain that to the guy in the middle of nowhere that needs a replacement tire and can’t get it…it’s nice to have a size with options if/when you need it…

Very good point. You can’t ride around on a donut until they come out with a replacement. 🛞

 

[Jeremy3292]

FWIW the recent Engineering Explained video on the R2 goes into why the 21” has zero other tire options currently. It’s a very specific size bc it still has pretty good sidewall width for such a massive tire. So it’s a huge wheel and even bigger by the fact the sidewall isn’t thin, which is usually what happens with big wheels. So it’s a very niche tire. The 20” rim is a more normal widely used size. Check the video out for more info:

 

[Millbarge]

On a mass market vehicle.. What a not so smart decision.

Why? How many buyers are thinking ahead to tire replacement when they first purchase their vehicle? Sucks for the consumer, but really very little impact on Rivian.

 

[AirplaneDr]

There are a bunch of options in 255/50R21. They are slightly smaller than the stock size but offer some choice, including summer only tires.

 

[Tony S]

Thanks for sharing this excellent video

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