Rivian R2 revealed with $45K starting price; R3 surprise

We knew that Rivian had an announcement coming today, and we figured it would be a smaller SUV. In an earlier story, we called it the R2S. However, it looks like the electric automaker isn’t planning on a smaller truck, so what was revealed today was simply called the Rivian R2.

In a surprise move, Founder RJ Scaringe also revealed an even smaller SUV, called the Rivian R3.

We don’t have too many details just yet on either SUV, but here’s a quick look at what we know so far.

Rivian R2 (screen grab from the Rivian Reveal livestream)

Rivian R2 gets 300 miles of range

The biggest thing people need to know about the Rivian R2 is it will be available with more than 300 miles of range. Obviously that depends on drivetrain, as the R2 will get single-, dual- and tri-motor setups – just like it’s bigger sibling the R1S. If you want power more than range, this model will also be able to deliver a 0-to-60-MPH time of less than 3 seconds.

Available early 2026

“Early” is such a nebulous term. That could be anywhere from January to July. But, the key takeaway: It will be available in 2026, which means, we’ll probably start seeing prototypes on streets somewhere in 2025. It’ll start at $45,000 for your base single-motor configuration.

Size comparison of the Rivian R2 and the R1S. (screen grab from the Rivian Reveal livestream)

North American Charging Standard (NACS) port

Rivian has been busy building out its own charging network, dubbed the Rivian Adventure Network, which allows for both CCS (current charging standard) and NACS (future charging standard, pioneered by Tesla). The Rivian R2 will come with a NACS charge port.

Clever details

The R2 wouldn’t be a Rivian without clever features, and this midsize SUV has a ton of them. You’ll see two glove boxes, a frunk, a rear window on the liftgate that rolls down, rear windows that pop out, front seats that fold flat – along with the rear seats – and a lot of available accessories like bike racks and tents.

Rivian R2 double glove box (screen grab from the Rivian Reveal livestream)

Rivian R3 OTW, too

While the Rivian R2 was expected, the R3 was a bit of a surprise. We have even fewer details here, but we do know it’s a smaller version of the R2 and built on the same platform. So, it’ll also have single-, dual- and tri-motor configurations as well as an expected range of more than 300 miles. There will also be a more performance-oriented version of this called the R3X with more ground clearance and snappier styling.

We have no idea when this small (Jeep-Wrangler-sized) SUV will arrive.

Rivian R3 (screen grab from the Rivian Reveal livestream)

The bottom line

We think Rivian has the most potential as EV startup that will make it. It’s been producing a larger volume of vehicles and, as seen at the R2 and R3 reveal, has an enticing lineup on the way. We’ll share more details as we have them, so stay tuned.

Want to see the reveal for yourself? You can watch it on Rivian’s YouTube channel.

Rivian R2, R3 Photo Gallery

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Email
Print