Rivian R2 Offers a Spare Tire, But It Will Cost You $775

Rivian’s new R2 (why is there no D2 trim?) is impressing reviewers from almost all publications. This new compact SUV is walking the walk while most simply talk the talk. Among the many cool features that the R2 can come equipped with is a compact spare tire. But be prepared to overpay for this safety and convenience feature.

On the Rivian Newsroom site, we found the specifications include an optional compact spare tire for each trim shown, the $60K Performance that media members have driven, the $56K future Premium trim, and the trim that will be available sometime in 2027, the $47K Standard trim, assuming Rivian’s timelines hold.

The price listed is $775 for the optional spare tire. That is a very steep price for such a safety feature. For example, Modern Spare, an aftermarket supplier of spare tires, lists Tesla Model Y spare tires and kits starting at half that price, just $339.95. That’s the price for a wheel and tire only. You’d need AAA or roadside assistance to help you mount it. If you want the full whammy kit, you pay more for the jack and lug wrench. Or you can source them yourself. Rivian isn’t including the spare as a standard feature, and apparently wants this optional safety item to be a profit center. We recently highlighted a Chevy Bolt owner's spare tire kit, which he assembled himself. The kit cost only $200.  The spare tire itself in that kit only costs $149.

Contrary to popular belief, every top-selling vehicle in America comes with an available spare tire, at last on select trims, and none of them charge you for it. The only two notable exceptions to this are the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, which have no spare options at all.

Many green vehicles also have spare tires. We recently ran down the list of hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) with spares and were able to list over two dozen. For example, every Toyota RAV4 trim sold in America comes with a spare tire at no added cost. All RAV4s are now electrified, either HEV, or plug-in.

We also compiled a list of battery-electric vehicles with spare tires in 2025. We found eight all-electric models with spares, either standard, by trim, or optional. We also listed seven plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles with spares.

To keep the spare as small as possible, the Rivian spare tires are deflated, and you pump them up when needed. This is a design we've seen from Audi and Toyota in the past. It's a great solution to the never-ending quest for cargo space. 

Don’t believe the armchair engineers who tell “EVs cannot have spares because they add weight and reduce range.” That is nonsense. Modern Spare’s Model Y spare, for example, only weighs 18 pounds. That’s less than an optional premium sound system weighs.

What say you, Rivian R2 fans and future owners? Will you be adding the $775 spare tire to your Rivian, or will you search for a less expensive one that you can drop into the space Rivian conveniently reserved for a spare tire? Tell us in the comments below. 
 

John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Top of page courtesy of Rivian Newsroom and design pages. Second image courtesy of Rivian's Gear Shop page.