From: jeff
To: letsgo@rivian.com
Subject: Road trip the Rivian R2 from Normal to Fins and Things
Hi Team Rivian,
On Tuesday, June 30th, my father and I picked up his new R2 at the factory in Normal, Illinois, and drove directly to Moab, Utah, to take it on the Fins and Things off-road trail. Here is our story and a few photos to consider for a community feature.
-Jeff
[Editor’s Note: we edited Jeff’s email for length.]
My dad is a 30-year off-road veteran who has driven Moab for decades. When I picked up an early-VIN Rivian R2 from the Normal factory as a gift for him, we decided to test its capabilities on Utah’s red rocks right away.
He named the vehicle Let’s Go!
We pointed the R2 west from Illinois, stopping in Iowa City the first night, Denver the second and arriving in Moab by lunch on day three. Over three days on the highway, the R2 was comfortable and quiet. Built-in navigation handled our charging stops automatically, keeping the drive simple.
Early the next morning, we started at Baby Lion’s Back. Crawling up the sandstone, the difference between an EV and a gas vehicle was immediate: no engine noise or vibration, just instant torque. Without mechanical noise, we could hear the surrounding trail as the vehicle climbed with steady control. We ran the trail three times.
Next was Fins and Things. With Dad behind the wheel and me spotting, our R2 handled steep climbs, rolling fins and tight sandstone transitions. The low center of gravity and electric torque provided solid traction on the slickrock. With tires aired down, it climbed steadily without needing revs or momentum.
And while traditional rigs and ATVs kicked up engine noise nearby, our R2 remained quiet and comfortable inside.
After finishing the trail, we didn’t trailer the vehicle. We drove straight off the slickrock, joined the highway, engaged hands-free driver assistance, and headed home. Our R2 proved it could handle technical off-road terrain in Moab and transition immediately back into a highway cruiser.
One moment, R2 was crawling over slickrock. The next, it was gliding down the highway calm and composed. From Normal, Illinois, to Moab, Utah, from factory floor to sandstone fins, our R2 lived up to its name — Let’s Go!