Rivian
Today in California, Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe unveiled new additions to the electric vehicle startup’s model lineup. Details of the new R2 had leaked earlier this week, although not entirely accurately—the new smaller EV will start at $45,000 (not $47,000) when it goes on sale in 2026.
At first glance of the R2, you might be excused for thinking you’re looking at a Rivian R1S, for both SUVs share a lot of styling details—not just Rivian’s distinctive daylight running lights but also the overall shape of the vehicle. But the new car is shorter in both length (by 15.7 inches/400 mm) and height, and only offers two rows of seating, not three.
Convenience improvements include a pair of gloveboxes under the dashboard and a flashlight that’s stored in the door. At the back, the glass rear window can drop down to allow access to the cargo area. Both rows of seats fold flat, in case you want to camp in your car.
Rivian will build three different powertrain configurations of the R2: a single-motor, rear-wheel drive version, a twin-motor, all-wheel drive model, and a tri-motor option. Scaringe said that all three will have at least 300 miles (482 km) of range. The tri-motor R2 can accelerate from 0–60 mph in under three seconds.
The battery pack uses larger-format 4695 cylindrical cells, and Scaringe says that the R2 will go into production at the company’s first factory in Normal, Illinois. Reservations for the R2 opened today with a $100 deposit. Deliveries are scheduled for the first half of 2026.
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The Rivian R2 looks a lot like the larger R1S.
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Rivian says it will save $2.5 billion by starting R2 production in Illinois instead of waiting for the plant in Georgia.
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A size comparison with the R1S.
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Here’s the R2 interior
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The addition of gloveboxes is a welcome touch.
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The R2’s seats all fold flat.
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A look at the R2 door cards.
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The center console has plenty of cubbies.
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Rivian plans a range of R2 accessories, including a camp kitchen and a tent.
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Although details on the R2 had already leaked, the company prevented that from happening for another new model, introduced by Scaringe with a Steve Jobs-like “one more thing…” toward the end of the presentation. In fact, it was two new things: a pair of even smaller electric crossovers called the R3 and R3X.
Like the R2, these two new models use the same new midsize platform (as opposed to the larger platform that underpins the R1S, R1T, and the Rivian Delivery Van). The R3 and R3X keep Rivian’s distinctive light signature but eschew copying the larger SUV’s silhouette for a shape that looks more like a Fiat Panda or Lada Niva, at least to this observer.
The R3 has a wheelbase that is 5 inches (125 mm) shorter than the R2 but will also be offered with the same three choices of powertrains and have more than 300 miles of range. The R3X is much like the R3 but with wheel arch extensions and a rear spoiler.
Like the bigger R1 and R2, the R3 and R3X have a cargo frunk up front. Similar to the R2, the front and rear seats fold flat. The rear hatch glass opens independently of the hatch, which allows you to carry larger payloads.
The R3 and R3X will be built at Rivian’s new factory in Georgia, but for now, we can’t tell you when deliveries will start or how much you’ll have to pay to have one in your driveway or garage.
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The same adorable face but in a small new package—the Rivian R3.
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The glass in the hatch opens independently for large loads like a surfboard.
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I’ll be honest, if Rivian was taking R3 deposits today I’d have sent in my $100.
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The Rivian R3X is off-road coded.
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A look at the Rivian R3 interior.
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The R3’s back seat will be a bit more cramped than the R2.
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The R3’s door card, which also has a flashlight stored in it.
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The R3X interior has the same layout as the R3 but with different materials.
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The rear seats in the R3 and R3X are split 40:20:40.
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DC fast-charging for all three models should take under 30 minutes to charge from 10–80 percent, Rivian tells us, and the cars will feature native J3400 charging ports. We also learned that later this month, existing Rivian owners will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network, although these EVs will need to use a CCS1-J3400 adapter.
“I have never been more excited to launch new products—R2 and R3 are distinctly Rivian in terms of performance, capability and usability yet with pricing that makes them accessible to a lot of people. Our design and engineering teams are extremely focused on driving innovation into not only the product features but also our approach to manufacturing to achieve dramatically lower costs,” said Scaringe. “R2 provides buyers starting in the $45,000 price range with a much-needed choice with a thoroughly developed technology platform that is bursting with personality. I can’t wait to get these to customers.”
