Independent Test Finds Rivian R2 Uses Up to 26.5% More Energy Than Model Y
Updated
Updated · EV · Jul 27
Independent Test Finds Rivian R2 Uses Up to 26.5% More Energy Than Model Y
3 articles · Updated · EV · Jul 27
Summary
Five side-by-side drive cycles found the 2027 Rivian R2 Performance consumed 18.4% to 26.5% more energy than the 2026 Tesla Model Y Performance at every tested speed.
80 mph produced the widest clean-run gap—406.5 Wh/mi for the R2 versus 318.7 for the Model Y—while even the city simulation showed a 25.0% penalty, undermining claims that the two match on efficiency.
Kyle Conner and Jose Castillo ran both stock SUVs on identical tire pressures, climate settings and GPS-verified loops, alternating the lead car to reduce slipstream effects and publishing the full dataset.
The result clashes with EPA labels showing both Performance trims at 105 MPGe and 32 kWh per 100 miles, though Conner said separate EPA procedures may make those headline figures less directly comparable.
The comparison matters because Tesla sold 84,863 Model Ys in the U.S. in the second quarter, while Rivian is ramping the R2 from roughly 789 delivered units toward a 20,000-25,000 target this year.