Route 66 Roadtrip in R2

Manufacturing validation kicks off on America’s most iconic highway

By Rivian

January 23^rd, 2026

Barely a year ago, Rivian’s R2 expansion in Normal, Illinois, was just a concrete slab foundation. Last week, our first Manufacturing Validation Build vehicles (MVB) rolled off the line and straight into a cross country road trip on the iconic Route 66—just as the historic highway celebrates its 100-year anniversary.

These early builds represent an important phase in development where we validate and perfect the quality of vehicles coming off the line at our factory. As we head toward the start of production in spring, this continuous feedback loop of testing, refining and updating ensures we are delivering repeatable quality at scale building vehicles that exceed our customers’ expectations.

A factory worker in a gray t-shirt and glasses works on the frame of a white car. The car frame is on an assembly line in a bright factory. The factory has white walls and ceilings.

The R2 we drove across Route 66 is one of many early builds already out for real world validation. The information we gather goes directly back to our engineering, software and manufacturing teams for optimizations. Every piece of information brings us a step closer to delivering R2 to customers.

Mural of a Route 66 sign on a brick wall with painted desert landscape and deer. The sign reads

"This drive is where we validate the promise we’re making with R2. We’ve said it should be a vehicle that makes longer trips and everyday adventures feel accessible and easy. Every day on this trip, we’re comparing what we planned for against what actually happens out there. What we discover translates directly into software fixes, process changes, or better diagnostics, all of which make the final product more dependable for the people who will rely on it." —Emmanuel Ibarra, Sr. Engineer and vehicle driver

But this drive across Route 66 was not just about putting an early R2 through its paces. It’s a reminder of why we built R2: everyday adventures, long stretches of open highway, and the stops along the trip that make it unforgettable.

Route 66 Roadtrip in R2

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