Rivian R2 Recalled Over Possible Loss Of Drive Power

Rivian has issued a recall covering a limited number of its newest R2 electric SUVs after discovering that a loose connection could interrupt drive power. The fault, described as a poor electrical link in the drivetrain, is the kind of problem that can leave a vehicle unable to move — or worse, cut power while it is already in motion. Rivian says the affected population is small, which keeps the campaign narrow in scope, but the symptom itself is serious enough to warrant attention rather than dismissal.

Loss of drive power is one of the more alarming failure modes an electric vehicle can develop, because it happens without the warning signs drivers associate with a conventional engine. There is no stutter, no warning light sequence to interpret and no gradual decline — the car simply stops responding to the accelerator. On a highway at speed, that turns into a situation where the driver's main job is to coast somewhere safe. For that reason, regulators generally treat propulsion-loss defects as high priority regardless of how few vehicles are involved.

The R2 is Rivian's move downmarket — a smaller, more attainable electric SUV sitting below the larger R1S and R1T that built the brand's reputation. That positioning places it squarely against the electric crossovers Saudi shoppers already know well: the Tesla Model Y,