The Rally-Inspired Rivian R3X Is Still Set for Production
The Rivian R3X is taking its time, but it’s coming.
The EV maker’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed to The Drive earlier this week that his company still plans to put the sporty compact SUV into production. His comments also suggest the eagerly anticipated model should arrive before the end of the decade.
The statement was made during an interview on the most recent episode of the website’s podcast, The Drivecast. During the conversation, the executive was asked about the status of the R3X. Scaringe did not go into too much detail but said “they’ll come,” referring to the EV and the model it’s based on, the R3, before adding “it’s a couple of years away.”
The Rivian 3X
Elliot Ross Studio/Rivian
Scaringe’s comments may be lacking in specifics, but they represent the first real update we’ve had about the R3X since it was first confirmed for production in July 2024. At the time, the executive said the rally-based EV would launch before the model it is based on.
Rivian fans have been salivating over the R3X since it was first teased earlier that year. Three months prior, in March, the automaker unveiled what it said would be its next three EVs: the R2, R3, and R3X. The last, unsurprisingly, was the one that garnered the most excitement. Not only was it smaller than Rivian’s debut vehicles, the hulking R1S SUV and R1T truck, but it also sported a retro-inspired, off-road look unlike anything previously seen from the company.
The R3X isn’t just suited for all-terrain driving, though. It is also being positioned as a high-performance model and will feature a potent tri-motor powertrain (no output has been announced, but the tri-motor R1S and R1T make 850 hp and 1,103 ft lbs of torque. The R3 and R3X are both expected to be built at Rivian’s new Atlanta factory, according to Car and Driver. That facility is scheduled to start production in late 2028, which would more or less line up with Scaringe’s timeline.
The R3 and R3X may still be a ways down the road, but the other vehicle unveiled during that time, the R2, just went on sale. The brand’s second distinct model is a versatile mid-size SUV that starts at $45,000.
