Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe Dishes On the Rivian R2, R3, R3X, and More!
What’s next for Rivian after the big $5 billion Volkswagen deal? Find out from the man behind the EV truck and SUV maker.
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When we started this here podcast/vodcast, there were a few guests who we felt were, dare we say, InEVitable—with Rivian’s founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe, absolutely being one of them. Ford CEO Jim Farley was a huge get and Lucid’s Peter Rawlinson was a big fish we landed, while Tesla’s Elon Musk remains out at sea. Nevertheless, we got RJ! The former billionaire with a PhD from MIT, Steve O lookalike, and incredibly nice guy recently sat down with us for what was supposed to be a 60-minute chat that went for around 90 instead. (Quick note: We discovered that another podcast thoroughly covered the recently announced Rivian-Volkswagen joint venture, so we purposely avoided going to deep into the nuts and bolts of it.) But we did ask RJ some follow up questions about what the VW deal means for future Rivians, as well as what VW’s tie-up with Chinese EV maker Xpeng could mean for all.
Indeed, what's in store for the future for Rivian was the primary focus of our discussion, in addition to what's happening now with the new, second generation R1 products (Rivian had us drive a 2025 R1T Ascent Tri-Motor prior to the episode). RJ confirmed to us that the ECU architecture used in the R1 (what’s being licensed to VW, as it happens) will also be used in its upcoming R2 and R3 models. Speaking of, RJ semi-confirmed that either an R2T or R3T (T is Rivian speak for truck) or both could happen, as they’ve been quite subtle by only ever referring to the R2 prototype SUV as the R2, not the R2S. RJ also hinted that an R2X and even an R1X are possibilities. Best of all, he strongly indicated that the R3X will have the same powertrain as the R1 Tri-Motor with its 850 horsepower and 1,103 pound-feet of torque. We’ll go ahead and speculate that an R2X would come similarly stacked.
More revelations from RJ: Rivian won't be building a passenger version of its commercial van anytime soon, it won't be doing a heavy-duty truck, and it isn't getting into the robotaxi business. However, RJ did say that Rivian's ADAS software running in its Gen 2 products is only using a fraction of its potential capability of the new hardware’s (two powerful Nvdia Drive Orin systems-on-a-chip), so look for massive improvements to come on that front. He also said to expect some augmented reality experiences soon thanks in part to the Unreal Engine 3D computer graphics engine powering Rivian’s user interface and slick new cel shade vehicle renderings.
As for the R2 and R3X, RJ said everything is on track for the launch of the R2 in the first half of 2026, with the R3X and finally regular flavor R3 set to follow sometime after that. And while the Compass Yellow has been retired, there will be future special colors from Rivian for those models.
It was a long time coming, but absolutely worth the wait, as Mr. Scaringe was a fantastic guest. Want to hear all about Rivian? Or better yet, watch!? Why not both? You can watch the vodcast right here or on our YouTube channel. If audio is your thing, download the podcast here or wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you like it, please tell your friends, share us on social media, like the video, and don't forget to give us a five-star review. Better yet, ask us a question, and if we use if on an episode, we’ll send you some MotorTrend/The InEVitable swag. We hope you found this episode to be as much to consume as it was to record. Always remember, we'll be back next week with another new episode of The InEVitable!
When I was just one-year-old and newly walking, I managed to paint a white racing stripe down the side of my father’s Datsun 280Z. It’s been downhill ever since then. Moral of the story? Painting the garage leads to petrolheads. I’ve always loved writing, and I’ve always had strong opinions about cars.
One day I realized that I should combine two of my biggest passions and see what happened. Turns out that some people liked what I had to say and within a few years Angus MacKenzie came calling. I regularly come to the realization that I have the best job in the entire world. My father is the one most responsible for my car obsession. While driving, he would never fail to regale me with tales of my grandfather’s 1950 Cadillac 60 Special and 1953 Buick Roadmaster. He’d also try to impart driving wisdom, explaining how the younger you learn to drive, the safer driver you’ll be. “I learned to drive when I was 12 and I’ve never been in an accident.” He also, at least once per month warned, “No matter how good you drive, someday, somewhere, a drunk’s going to come out of nowhere and plow into you.”
When I was very young my dad would strap my car seat into the front of his Datsun 280Z and we’d go flying around the hills above Malibu, near where I grew up. The same roads, in fact, that we now use for the majority of our comparison tests. I believe these weekend runs are part of the reason why I’ve never developed motion sickness, a trait that comes in handy when my “job” requires me to sit in the passenger seats for repeated hot laps of the Nurburgring. Outside of cars and writing, my great passions include beer — brewing and judging as well as tasting — and tournament poker. I also like collecting cactus, because they’re tough to kill. My amazing wife Amy is an actress here in Los Angeles and we have a wonderful son, Richard.Read More