IN DETAIL
THE INNOVATIONS TRANSFORMING OUR DRIVING WORLD
How Rivian is adding extra models at minimal cost.
American EV maker Rivian looks set to leap from niche builder of cool-looking electric 4x4s to more mainstream (but still cool) manufacturer targeting significant global sales. What’s making its ambitious expansion possible is a radical approach to the technology in its cars.
The existing products – the striking-looking R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV – have been well received, but they’re very much tailored to US tastes and don’t move the needle much with their skateboard platform, big battery and choice of dual or quad motors.
The company also makes electric delivery vans for US fleets. But what comes next couldn’t be more different, and is much more exciting.
Rivian’s freshly unveiled trio of newcomers are much more innovative, and even more eye-catching than the R1. The R2 is a mid-size SUV. The R3 is a crossover-hatchback. And there’s a sportier spin-off, the R3X. All three are aiming to be cars that people want, with an emotional connection that many EVs struggle to muster.
The R2 is a rival for an already packed field including the BMW X3 and Tesla Model Y. The Rivian’s styling should help it get noticed and talked about. But what will turn that buzz into sales is the combination of efficient tech and keen pricing – the R2 will start at $45,000 in the US.
Although the R2 and R3 look significantly different from each other, they have much in common under the skin, with component-sharing baked in from the off (as well as some recycled ideas from the R1 twins). And they have been designed to use as few parts as possible.
Sharing a platform across several models is nothing new, but the idea has been embraced with unusual thoroughness by Rivian, showing a confidence and maturity unusual in a company that didn’t deliver its first vehicle to a customer until late 2021.
THE R3X IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL, RIFFING ON THE LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE AND AUDI QUATTRO
