Would love to see an R2M ('M' for minivan)

[duessell]

The only thing I don't like about our Chrysler Pacifica PHEV is that it isn't 100% electric. You can't beat the practicality of a minivan.

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[Thedude]

Minivans are embarrassingly efficient at a lot of things. I don’t own one but when working on a lot of projects with a buddy of mine we would take his wife’s minivan instead of either of our trucks.

I hope they build PHEV R2s. PHEV solves almost every compliant with an EV and pretty much reduces range and charge time issues to zero.

 

[CrazyOne]

If they build an off-road minivan on R1T chassis, I would buy it. It's time to make minivan great again.

 

[sub]

 

[duessell]

Minivans are embarrassingly efficient at a lot of things. I don’t own one but when working on a lot of projects with a buddy of mine we would take his wife’s minivan instead of either of our trucks.

I hope they build PHEV R2s. PHEV solves almost every compliant with an EV and pretty much reduces range and charge time issues to zero.

After four years with a PHEV, I never want to buy another thing with a gas tank again. 90% of our miles are electric. If they got rid of all the ICE bits and used that space for batteries, I bet that van could have an all electric range of 300 miles and we'd then probably do 98% of our driving with home charging... and without oil changes.

I'd rather Rivian stay all electric.

 

[Tango45]

Sigh, it's probably not a bad idea. I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 that I'm eagerly anticipating trading in for a Rivian R2X. When I envision that replacement in my head, it's a Hyundai Ioniq 5-sized vehicle; however, I think that market doesn't have the same white space that the truck and SUV market had when Rivian made that shift. There are a dozen (+/-) "small" EVs; there is one EV van... coming... s00n. I don't know if I'd jump on a Rivian R2V, but I can see where it's a good business decison.

...or just give me what I want.

 

[Tango45]

After years with a PHEV, I never want to buy another thing with a gas tank again. 90% of our miles are electric. If the got rid of all the ICE bits and used the space for batteries, I bet that can could have an all electric range of 300 miles and we'd then probably do 98% of our driving with home charging... and without oil changes.

I'd rather Rivian stay all electric.

You are being mentioned: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/05/04/plug-in-hybrids-gateway-evs/

Edit: To be super clear: that's awesome. I'm supportive. The article says your experience is mirrored in other PHEV owners.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I'm excited about the VW Buzz for this exact reason, but an R2V would be a strong contender to end up in my garage instead if it was an option

 

[AxelR]

I'm excited about the VW Buzz for this exact reason, but an R2V would be a strong contender to end up in my garage instead if it was an option

Isn’t the ID Buzz a van not a minivan?

 

[duessell]

Sigh, it's probably not a bad idea. I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 that I'm eagerly anticipating trading in for a Rivian R2X. When I envision that replacement in my head, it's a Hyundai Ioniq 5-sized vehicle; however, I think that market doesn't have the same white space that the truck and SUV market had when Rivian made that shift. There are a dozen (+/-) "small" EVs; there is one EV van... coming... s00n. I don't know if I'd jump on a Rivian R2V, but I can see where it's a good business decison.

...or just give me what I want.

Yeah, overall minivan market share isn't huge as SUVs have taken a lot of those buyers but I think Rivian could make a compling van/SUV crossover. 7-8 inches of ground clearance, 200 inches long, 71-72 inches high (to fit in city parking garages), sliding doors (are the best). It would likely still be a niche thing but could maybe attract enough buyers to be viable if reusing the R1S platform is viable as that wheelbase would work for the size of a minivan.

 

[SlaterGS]

The only thing I don't like about our Chrysler Pacifica PHEV is that it isn't 100% electric. You can't beat the practicality of a minivan.

We haven't used our Pacifica PHEV since we got our R1S and may actually get rid of it and run with the Leaf and R1S.

I agree on the practicality of a minivan for the most part, but they are surprisingly bad when you have more than 2 car seats and you have passengers in every seat.
We have two car seats in the middle and a booster in the 3rd row and my tall but skinny 11 and 9 year olds are crammed in the Pacifica and there is no way around it.
Besides the minor inconvenience for kids having to get in and out of the R1S, it just has so much more passenger space when you add in car seats and plenty of room in the frunk and trunk for everything we need.

Much happier family when traveling in the R1S, but definitely agree someone needs to make a great electric minivan that hopefully actually fits 3 car seats and passengers.

 

[Deleted member 12197]

Personally I would not want a PHEV and I dont think Rivian will make one either.

The problem with PHEVs is they are inferior for day to day use compared with an EV. I had a Porsche Panamera Turbo-S e-Hybrid which is a PHEV. I had it during 2020-2021 and during the height of the pandemic I liked that I could drive it in EV mode and refuel every 2 months. The problem was that driving in EV mode I had a heavy car with only 140hp. I could do small trips with it, but it wasn’t fun to drive that way. If I drove it normal it would be like an ICE with twice the MPGs. Yes it’s better for the environment than an ICE, but it’s not zero emission like an EV, and it has the inconvenience of trips to the gas station vs charging at home. It’s also heavy and doesn’t have a low center of gravity.

I’d much rather have an EV. I get the concept of being able to road trip with long charging stops, but I think that’s what rental cars are for. Rent a HEV or PHEV for road trips, but for the bulk of your day to day driving, drive an EV for a better experience and lower emissions.

 

[SSteveEV]

+1 for an EV minivan. Once you live with a minivan every other vehicle looks kinda pointless (sports cars excluded)

 

[citizen]

Surprised to see the call for an R2-based minivan? I would've assumed for proper size, range, and performance, we'd want it built on the R1 platform. Assuming it'd be between the R1S and R1T in length.

But 100% agree. At every conference I go to, I tend to rent minivans whether for hauling materials or people.

 

[Moodyerdoc]

Minivans are like pink shirts. Only real men can get away with being seen in them. I've had 3 different trucks and 3 different SUVs while my wife has kept her minivan for 13 years now. Guess which car we take everywhere (well, before the R1T). .

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