Rivian has a lot of irons in the fire at the moment: construction of a second assembly plant in Stanton Springs, Georgia; delivering first salable Rivian R2 midsize SUVs to customers; launching paid subscriptions ($2,500 one time or $49.99 per month) for Autonomy + for hands-free driving on 3.5 million miles of highway in the US and Canada; a $1.25 billion investment from Uber for future R2 robotaxis; and a $1 billion investment from Volkswagen after the RV Tech joint venture completed testing of its zonal architecture for first-generation Volkswagen Group software-defined vehicles.
Base Trim Engine
Electric
Base Trim Transmission
single-speed Automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
350 hp
Base Trim Torque
355 lb-ft
0-60 MPH
5.9 sec
Segment
Compact SUV
That’s all before any mention of production battery-electric vehicles beyond the R1T pickup, R1S SUV, Amazon delivery trucks, or the fresh out of the chute R2. More vehicles are coming, and CEO RJ Scaringe has made it clear the goal is to launch future Rivians that are progressively more affordable, starting with the two-row compact R3 crossover (pictured below), which is expected to begin production at the new plant in Georgia in late 2028.
How affordable could future Rivians be priced? CarBuzz asked Scaringe that question during a recent media roundtable, but he declined to specify a number. To be fair, there’s quite a bit on his plate at the moment, never mind future products still to come. And they will be coming.
Rivian R3 and R3X compact crossoversTom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet
Lots Of Pieces Must First Fall Into Place
Launching the R3 from Georgia requires plant construction to go smoothly for the next two years, unfettered by supply-chain disruptions or a public health crisis. If the R3 is a solid, capable, low-priced offering that arrives in an improving EV market with expanding charging infrastructure (understood, that could be overly optimistic), then Rivian could find steady profitability by achieving volume and scale with the midsize platform, which underpins both R2 and R3.
Rivian R3 and R3X compact crossoversTom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet
Unless the cadence changes, Rivian executives have said that before the lower-priced R3 arrives in a few years, start with the rally-inspired R3X (pictured above) for off-road enthusiasts. For context, the R2 rollout is similar, with the highest-priced trims launching first and the least-expensive single-motor variant coming a year from now, priced at around $45,000.
It gets hazy when trying to look beyond R3 and R3X. Reports suggest the automaker is actively developing the more stylized, lower-cost R4, followed by the ultra-affordable, subcompact R5 crossover for the mass market, perhaps arriving by 2029 and both to be built at the new plant in Georgia on a different platform. Beyond the R4 and R5, Scaringe has mentioned an R6 on a conceptual basis.
It’s doubtful that development work on an R6 is advancing. Again, the only way these future Rivians come to market is if the company is making money by selling cars, not via partnerships and outside investments.
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A performance version and a small R2 pickup truck were recently mentioned by Rivian’s CEO. Here’s what he had to say.
‘Imagine Even More Variance Beyond That’
2027 Rivian R2Tom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet
During the recent media roundtable, Scaringe talked about nitty-gritty stuff, like making more efficient motors and drive units and refining the making of a stator by continuously winding it with a single, unbroken piece of copper wire, without welded joints. Also on the table are modifications to production vehicles, such as a high-output R2 that might get a third electric motor from the Rivian Adventure Department (RAD). Parked along the recent R2 off-road media drive route was a boldly painted modified R2 (pictured above), most likely the work of RAD tuners.
“We’re having a lot of fun thinking about the next versions of what’s to come.”
–Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe
Rivian R3 and R3X compact crossoversTom Murphy / CarBuzz / Valnet
But with regard to the pipeline for future Rivians, a pickup truck version of the R2 seems assured, likely named R2T. During the recent media roundtable, Scaringe was only willing to go as far as the R3, and he described the R3X (interior pictured above) as a “high-performance off-road variant for R3, but you can imagine even more variance beyond that.”
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Scaringe grew up rebuilding classic cars, graduated from MIT as an engineer, and started Rivian at age 26. He understands the enthusiast mindset, but he’s also smart enough as a businessman to know that prices for EVs must come down if they ever have a chance to replace gasoline-powered vehicles.
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Rivian Boss Flexes New R2 Against Tesla And ‘Wildly Underserved’ EV Market
CEO RJ Scaringe positions the R2 as a very compelling alternative to Tesla Model 3, Y.
When he says, “I’m sure all of our imaginations can probably think of things that could come,” observers might think he’s only referring to the R4 or R5 or variants. But Scaringe is a big-picture kind of guy, so he’s probably talking about robotaxis, software upgrades, waste reduction, and expanding beyond 100 service centers and 680 mobile service vans, all intended to secure the future for all-electric mobility.
Rivian R3 and R3X Gallery
Source: Rivian / Motor Trend
