Rivian's highly anticipated midsize SUV platform is finally rolling out to customers, but early adopters are uncovering a surprising omission. While the brand built its reputation on rugged, off-grid adventure vehicles, its newest model is completely dropping traditional terrestrial radio hardware. The R2 doesn’t feature an internal FM or AM radio receiver, a decision that is catching many reservation holders completely off guard.
The shift is causing a stir among the community after Rivian officially kicked off the very first R2 deliveries to eager buyers earlier this month. Over on the Rivian Forums, one of the first R2 owners broke the news to fellow enthusiasts, sparking a lengthy conversation. One user posted in the thread: "The R2 has no AM or FM radio receiver. It uses internet streaming services iHeart and TuneIn […] to stream radio and also satellite radio."
How Radio Works On the R2
Instead of tuning into free over-the-air local frequencies via an antenna, the infotainment setup mimics a traditional radio dial using digital web feeds. According to details shared on the forum, owners will have to use internet streaming apps (currently iHeartRadio or TuneIn) to find their favorite local broadcasts.
"You will be able to get many, if not most, but NOT all, AM and FM stations by first going into the iHeart or TuneIn app in the audio screen, and search for your desired stations. Each app has a different set of stations offered, with some overlap," one user explained in the forum thread. "Once selected, those stations will appear on the FM or AM "dial" in the radio screen as vertical gray bars at the frequency of the respective stations. Tapping on the bar will start the station streaming. Scanning up/down in the radio selector will only jump from bar to bar, and not play any station that hasn't been preselected."
Because this method relies entirely on a live internet connection, drivers will either need to tether their phone via Bluetooth or shell out for a monthly Connect+ cellular data subscription from Rivian to listen to local news or music. What’s more, some users even complained that radio programming through iHeartRadio and TuneIn includes ads and isn’t actually live, sometimes being hours behind what the station is currently airing.
Adventure Lovers Express Frustration
This design choice is rubbing traditional trail enthusiasts the wrong way. While Rivian’s R1 lineup didn’t have an AM receiver, it did include a physical FM tuner, making the omission on this next-gen platform stand out. Taking a vehicle into the wilderness often means leaving cell towers behind. Without an over-the-air receiver, listeners in remote regions or mountain passes will lose access to local broadcasts completely, which many users also valued for emergency preparedness and weather alerts.
To lower entry costs and transform the brand into a real mass-market player, Rivian had to trim certain features to hit a competitive price point. The vehicle even boasts a faster infotainment system and more AI processing power to really hit that new-age tech brief. However, foregoing a legacy feature beloved by Rivian's core user base to do that has ruffled some feathers. Some fans are already asking Rivian to release a standalone external radio accessory for the R2 to plug the gap.
Premium Specs on the Performance Trim
Rivian began R2 mass production in April at its Normal, Illinois, factory. Despite the radio drama, the performance figures for the first R2 trim hitting customer driveways remain impressive.
The Performance trim, the first R2 variant to launch, starts at $57,990 and pumps out 656 horsepower through a dual-motor configuration. It hits 0-60 mph in a swift 3.6 seconds and provides up to 330 miles of driving range out of an 87.9 kWh battery pack. It also comes equipped with a semi-active suspension system and a neat Drop Glass rear window that retracts fully into the liftgate. Now that R2 demo drives are also available at showrooms, shoppers can test the high-end variant out in person.
As Rivian prepares to share R2 order windows for all reservation holders next week, buyers will have to weigh whether a modern streaming-only cabin fits their off-road lifestyle. Digital radio streams are likely the permanent future for the brand, so fans will have to consider the trade-offs of an app-centric ecosystem before buying into Rivian’s latest platform.
