Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe reacts at an event to unveil a smaller R2 SUV in Laguna Beach, Calif. on March 7.Mike Blake/Reuters
Rivian revealed two new electric vehicles on Thursday – a smaller, cheaper SUV and a compact SUV – in a bid for mass appeal.
The reveal of the R2 – a 5-seater SUV starting at US$45,000 and set to be available in the U.S. in 2026 – had been announced in advance. But Rivian gave a surprise reveal of the R3 and performance R3X – compact versions built on the same platform.
The R2 will offer an estimated range of up to 330 miles (531 kilometres) and a top acceleration of 0 to 96 kilometres an hour (0 to 60 miles and hour) in three seconds.
Canadian pricing and availability weren’t announced, but the R2′s U.S. starting price is about $30,000 cheaper than Rivian’s three-row R1S SUV. The R2 is 4,714 millimetres long, about 380 millimetres shorter than the R1S.
The R2 has a similar look to the R1S. It’s boxy, although over all, the lines seem cleaner. The rear glass and the side windows in the hatch open. The front and rear seats fold flat to allow camping inside.
The quad-motor Rivian R1S is impressive ... and scary
The interior of the R2 SUV looks like a simplified version of the interior in Rivian's R1S interior.Mike Blake/Reuters
The interior looks like a simplified version of the R1S interior. While previous Rivian models haven’t had a glove compartment, the R2 has two of them (“We over-delivered,” Rivian chief executive officer Robert (RJ) Scaringe said at the Laguna Beach, Calif. event, which was streamed live).
It’s built on a new platform and will use a larger cell in its battery pack. The battery is part of the frame – the top of the battery pack is the R2′s floor, Scaringe said.
There will be three versions: one-motor rear-wheel drive, two-motor all-wheel drive and three-motor all-wheel drive.
It will come with Tesla’s NACS port but can also use CCS adapters for DC fast charging. It will charge at a rate of 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.
Mr. Scaringe speaks at the launch of the Rivian R2 electric vehicle at the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach, Calif. Rivian started taking reservations for the R2 on its website on March 7.PATRICK T. FALLON/Getty Images
Scaringe said the R2 will be packed with radars and cameras and hinted at semi-autonomous capability, but didn’t give details.
Rivian started taking reservations for the R2 on its website Thursday.
The other reveal was the R3 and performance R3X compact SUV. They are about 135 millimetres shorter than the R2 – and sleeker – but use the same motors and battery pack. Rivian didn’t say when the R3 and R3X would be available or what they would cost.
The R3X compact SUV is about 135 millimetres shorter than the R2 – and sleeker – but it uses the same motors and battery pack.Mike Blake/Reuters
The two new models are designed to “get more people into our brand,” Scaringe said. “They represent our future - what we’ve been building to.”
Boosting sales is critical for the EV company, which has struggled with profitability. Its first two EVs, the R1T truck (starting at $105,000) and R1S SUV (starting at $112,500) are big and expensive.
The company reported losing US$1.58-billion over the last three months of 2023, for a loss of US$5.4-billion for the year.
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Jason Tchir