Doug DeMuro Can't Stop Praising R2

[therealcmj]

I am saying that a new category of EV customers exist who are apartment dwellers. For them, a 300 mile range car that charges at 400v isn’t very convenient. That’s like charging every 1.5 weeks and waiting 30-40 minutes at a fast charger.

I am an condo/apartment dweller and bought the R1S without on site charging at my primary residence. And it took me almost a year to get an EVSE installed at my beach house. I went in to the purchase and experience knowing that as an early adopter it would be slightly less convenient but I was willing to do that.

There are ~300 spots in my underground garage and 10 EVs. Those are probably the sum total of people who are willing to do what I do. So yeah, there are some people for whom lack of home charging is a definite blocker.

Most of the buildings in my neighborhood are actively working on getting at least some number of chargers installed. As those chargers come online and more people buy EVs the other buildings are seeing pressure to get on the ball and get chargers installed too. Condo owners and renters want it, and demand it, and then eventually expect it. And eventually won't buy or rent without them being there. So it's just a matter of time before at home charging even in apartment buildings becomes a non-issue.

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[Teledatageek]

I need the size of the R1 to haul dogs. I like the size of the R2 for my wife, so we have one reserved. So yes, there is room for both. When we get the R2, I will drive it more than I drive our Mach e.

Does that mean you are trading out the MachE for an R2? That's what I'm hoping we do, but the MachE is her primary driver and not sure she'll want to give it up...

 

[DuoRivians]

I am an condo/apartment dweller and bought the R1S without on site charging at my primary residence. And it took me almost a year to get an EVSE installed at my beach house. I went in to the purchase and experience knowing that as an early adopter it would be slightly less convenient but I was willing to do that.

There are ~300 spots in my underground garage and 10 EVs. Those are probably the sum total of people who are willing to do what I do. So yeah, there are some people for whom lack of home charging is a definite blocker.

Most of the buildings in my neighborhood are actively working on getting at least some number of chargers installed. As those chargers come online and more people buy EVs the other buildings are seeing pressure to get on the ball and get chargers installed too. Condo owners and renters want it, and demand it, and then eventually expect it. And eventually won't buy or rent without them being there. So it's just a matter of time before at home charging even in apartment buildings becomes a non-issue.

This is possible yes, but the timescale of this change is many years. It’s not like the supply of apartments with chargers are exploding such that renters can be that choosy

 

[mkhuffman]

Let's say Rivian gave us a max pack with R2 but same architecture, would you end up with more range in the same time? Not necessarily faster than the 30 minutes announced so far, but maybe more range in the same time?

Yes. You can add more kWh in less time because you have more battery available in the DCFC window of 10-80% SoC.

 

[Just Passing By]

About a year ago my neighbor across the street got their first BEV - a Tesla Model Y. Very few others on my street have a BEV. A good friend of mine just got his first BEV as well, also a MY.

I think Rivian looked at the success of the MY, it's range and charging speed, and determined the R2 can be just as successful with similar specs and access to the Tesla SC network.

There are still a ton of people who are interested in a BEV but have yet to get one. At least that is what it seems like when I look around my neighborhood. And when I talk to people about my truck.

They are interested, they just haven't found the right vehicle to get them to do it. Like another one of my friends who has been considering getting one for a a couple years but hasn't yet. He might end up in a R2. Or a MY.

Nobody knows the future but I am optimistic the R2 will be a success.

... and this seems to be the point that RJ often brings up, a lack of compelling options to date, which is why Tesla has done as well as it has. I'm another example of someone who is waiting for R2 as my first EV, a MY won't meet my requirements. My neighborhood is replete with Tesla's but it is not saturated.

 

[therealcmj]

the timescale of this change is many years. It’s not like the supply of apartments with chargers are exploding such that renters can be that choosy

Nobody is saying it’ll happen overnight.

The timescale of car ownership is also years - the average age of cars and SUVs in the US is supposedly 14 and 11 years old respectively. The typical apartment/home lease is 1 year but average tenure of a renter is between 4 or 5. This is all highly regional of course.

As apartment buildings add chargers renters living there will feel comfortable buying a EV. When EV owners move they’ll only consider properties with EV charging readily available (if not in their parking spot).

The market is already driving charger installations and will continue to do so. It’s not a big deal that it’ll take years to make its way through to (nearly) every apartment.

 

[DuoRivians]

Nobody is saying it’ll happen overnight.

The timescale of car ownership is also years - the average age of cars and SUVs in the US is supposedly 14 and 11 years old respectively. The typical apartment/home lease is 1 year but average tenure of a renter is between 4 or 5. This is all highly regional of course.

As apartment buildings add chargers renters living there will feel comfortable buying a EV. When EV owners move they’ll only consider properties with EV charging readily available (if not in their parking spot).

The market is already driving charger installations and will continue to do so. It’s not a big deal that it’ll take years to make its way through to (nearly) every apartment.

I’m saying that the apartment customer who wants an EV but where it would only make sense for them with a 400 mile range and 800v fast charging car is now—this won’t take years to materialize

 

[TexasBob]

Another report out today that the 2027 Kia EV5 is getting upgraded to 800V charging. This is another 300 mile mid-sized SUV that should be a head-on competitor, especially in Europe.

https://electrek.co/2026/02/16/kias-new-ev-suv-spotted-with-big-surprise-inside/

 

[KRG]

I am an condo/apartment dweller and bought the R1S without on site charging at my primary residence. And it took me almost a year to get an EVSE installed at my beach house. I went in to the purchase and experience knowing that as an early adopter it would be slightly less convenient but I was willing to do that.

There are ~300 spots in my underground garage and 10 EVs. Those are probably the sum total of people who are willing to do what I do. So yeah, there are some people for whom lack of home charging is a definite blocker.

Most of the buildings in my neighborhood are actively working on getting at least some number of chargers installed. As those chargers come online and more people buy EVs the other buildings are seeing pressure to get on the ball and get chargers installed too. Condo owners and renters want it, and demand it, and then eventually expect it. And eventually won't buy or rent without them being there. So it's just a matter of time before at home charging even in apartment buildings becomes a non-issue.

Former Bostonite here. Born and raised up there. When I lived downtown, I had chargers in the garage of my building so it made life easy…but i’m curious what your typical charging routine is. I found it difficult to find easily accessible public charging around the city when I needed it. I didnt do much research since i had it available at home though. I sometimes would charge in the prudential center garage, but it and most other chargers were in paid parking garages so it wasn’t worth it to go in and out since Boston garages are so expensive.

 

[KRG]

Another report out today that the 2027 Kia EV5 is getting upgraded to 800V charging. This is another 300 mile mid-sized SUV that should be a head-on competitor, especially in Europe.

https://electrek.co/2026/02/16/kias-new-ev-suv-spotted-with-big-surprise-inside/

Is this coming to the US as of now…I know it was back and forth for a while.

 

[TexasBob]

Is this coming to the US as of now…I know it was back and forth for a while.

Unclear. Definitely Canada and Europe which are both core markets for the R2. The US depends mostly on the random tariff whims of the Great Pumpkin I think.

 

[therealcmj]

Former Bostonite here. Born and raised up there.

A Bostonian who calls himself a “Bostonite”?! Now I’ve seen everything.

I’m in the South End by the cathedral and there aren’t that many options right there. But there are enough.

Off the top of my head:

There’s an AmpUp charger in the lot of a condo building around the corner from me. They took grant money so that’s required to be available at least 12 hours a day to the public.

There’s a garage down the street by Whole Foods with 20 or so. They have very cheap parking from 4 PM on and, until Jan charging was free.

There’s both level 2 and 3 chargers at South Bay plaza that I use when I go to Stop and Shop or Target.

There’s a city lot over by Melnea Cass that I haven’t yet used but would be a quick skateboard ride home.

And another city lot with a DCFC by Uphams Corner that is surprising cheap. That’s the one I use when I need to fast charge.

There’s a lot with 2 DCFC by Trader Joe’s in Brookline.

As I said it’s really been NBD. If I commuted regularly I’d probably just charge at the office.

 

[KRG]

A Bostonian who calls himself a “Bostonite”?! Now I’ve seen everything.

Hahaha. I think I’ve spent too much time away from New England to remember the lingo. I left in 2007, and though I moved backed for a couple years in 2021-22, I traveled a lot and wasn’t there long enough to properly re-integrate.

 

[KRG]

A Bostonian who calls himself a “Bostonite”?! Now I’ve seen everything.

I’m in the South End by the cathedral and there aren’t that many options right there. But there are enough.

Off the top of my head:

There’s an AmpUp charger in the lot of a condo building around the corner from me. They took grant money so that’s required to be available at least 12 hours a day to the public.

There’s a garage down the street by Whole Foods with 20 or so. They have very cheap parking from 4 PM on and, until Jan charging was free.

There’s both level 2 and 3 chargers at South Bay plaza that I use when I go to Stop and Shop or Target.

There’s a city lot over by Melnea Cass that I haven’t yet used but would be a quick skateboard ride home.

And another city lot with a DCFC by Uphams Corner that is surprising cheap. That’s the one I use when I need to fast charge.

There’s a lot with 2 DCFC by Trader Joe’s in Brookline.

As I said it’s really been NBD. If I commuted regularly I’d probably just charge at the office.

Yeah, not bad.. And living in a city, you don’t have to charge much bc you’re not driving 15 miles everywhere.

 

[NeverFollow]

A Bostonian who calls himself a “Bostonite”?! Now I’ve seen everything.

IMO, Townies is the word used to refer to Boston natives.
They've grown up here their whole lives.
They have the "Townie accent."
And know what's up!

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