Rivian R3 and R3X: Price, Specs, Battery, Motors & Release Date

September 6, 2024

By Karan Singh

Rivian

The Rivian R3 and R3X are part of Rivian’s upcoming platform of smaller and more affordable vehicles, which were announced on March 7^th, alongside the Rivian R2.

The R3 is a midsize crossover, designed with tighter dimensions, and an even lower price point than the R2 – which is supposed to start at $45,000 USD. Meanwhile, the R3X is the performance variant of the R3 – it's supposed to be Rivian’s tech demonstrator that is meant for vehicle enthusiasts, capable of working both on- and off-road.

Price and Specs

While pricing information for the Rivian R3 hasn’t been released just yet, industry estimates line up the starting price around $37,000 USD, and it should go up to $45,000 USD after battery and motor options. The R3X will be a bit more expensive, similar to the current R1T or R1S Quad Max Ascend trims, which have everything included. We’re estimating the R3X to be in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, depending on fit and finish. These numbers, for now, are just best guesses.

Battery Specs

We expect Rivian’s offerings to vary widely based on both the battery and motor packages. Today, Rivian offers a Standard Pack, Large Pack, and Max Pack on the R1S and R1T. For the R3, and the R2 platform in general, Rivian will launch two battery packs. The larger pack will be the one that obtains both the 300+ miles (382 km) of range and the 3-second 0-60mph acceleration on its quickest configuration. This could change in the future, but for now, this is Rivian’s plan, as they intend to offer fewer configuration options to reduce manufacturing complexity.

The R3 will also feature a structural battery based on Rivian’s new 4695 cells, which they say will offer significant improvements in both energy density and output. Rivian intends to focus its efforts on this new cell size going forward.

The R3X is only expected to be available in the top-level battery pack trim.

The Rivian R3X prototype

Rivian

Motor Options

On the R1T and the R1S, Rivian offers three motor options — dual-motor AWD, tri-motor and quad-motor. However, for the R3, Rivian will be offering a single-motor (RWD), dual-motor (AWD), and tri-motor (two rear, one front) configurations for the R3. This lets Rivian reduce the R3’s starting price, making it as cost-efficient as possible.

The R3X, meanwhile, will only be offered in a tri-motor option, emphasizing performance and robustness both on and off-road.

EV Rebates and Tax Credits

Rivian

It's still uncertain whether the R3 will qualify for the U.S. Federal EV Tax Credit or Canada's iZEV rebate. While the Canadian rebate is more flexible, it offers a lower value of $5,000 CAD ($3,600 USD). In contrast, the U.S. rebate, a tax credit, depends on battery material sourcing and vehicle production. Right now, we expect the R3 to qualify for the full $7,500 USD ($10,000 CAD) USD tax credit.

Charging Capabilities

One of the most important things for the R2 platform, including the R3 and R3X is the inclusion of Tesla’s NACS port and built-in Supercharger functionality. Additionally, the charge port will be moved to the rear left quarter panel – matching the location of Tesla’s NACS port. This will make it easy to fit the R2 and R3 at Tesla Supercharger stalls without blocking an adjacent spot.

The R3 and R3X will both be CCS compatible but will require a CCS-to-NACS adapter. At this point, Rivian does not intend to provide an adapter with the R2, so a third-party adapter will be required unless Rivian releases an OEM option.

Rivian has said that the R3 will be able to charge – on the right chargers – from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes. Overall, it’s a reasonable charge rate, and one that we can expect will get better as Rivian improves both the performance and software behind the new 4695 cells.

Autonomy / Self Driving

Rivian

Rivian built up an entirely new autonomy hardware system with its second-generation R1 platform, including 11 cameras, 5 radars, and an updated compute unit. While they haven’t revealed the autonomy capabilities that will be included in the R2 and R3, we expect them to be on par or the same as the current 2025 R1 vehicles.

This is an upgraded autonomy package from the first-generation R1S and R1T MobilEye EyeQ4 “Mid” system. The new system uses MobilEye’s EyeQ5 High, or “MobilEye SuperVision”.

Rivian’s custom compute package also includes hardware from Nvidia, but supposedly this board will be in training mode and non-functional until Rivian launches its own autonomy solution. The MobilEye hardware will be responsible for Rivian’s autonomy features, including full-surround perception, autonomous lane changes, and highway and traffic jam assist – which is essentially an advanced highway lane-keeping assist. Rivian intends to eventually phase out the MobilEye hardware, but we’re not sure when this will happen.

We’ll be diving deep into Rivian’s Driver+, their autonomy solution, in another article soon.

Release Date

The R3 isn’t expected to begin production until 2027. The R3X is expected to launch first, as early as late 2026, or early 2027. Rivian intends to launch the R2 first, sometime in mid-2026, across North America.

A European launch is expected sometime by the end of 2026 for the R2, with deliveries in 2027. This schedule will likely follow for the R3 and R3X, with European deliveries toward the end of 2027 or early 2028.

Unlike the R2, Rivian isn’t taking reservations for the R3 and R3X yet. However, they have mentioned that current owners will be given priority over others, so if you’re interested in a future R3 or R3X at launch, you could look at Rivian’s R1T or R1S Gen 2 today.

We're incredibly excited to see Rivian's R3 and R3X in the future – they have the potential to become some of the world's best-selling vehicles.

Audi to Start Using Rivian Tech in Cars by 2028, More Brands to Follow

March 20, 2026

By Nehal Malik

Rivian Wave

Audi is officially joining the Rivian software fold. The German automaker has confirmed that it will begin using the electronic architecture developed through the Rivian-Volkswagen joint venture in its vehicles starting in 2028.

According to a recent report from SmartDroid, the move marks a major turning point for Audi’s electric lineup. While the brand has performed well with the A6 and Q6 e-tron, the switch to "RV Tech" architecture — the name of the joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen — will allow for true "software-defined vehicles." The first model to feature this tech is expected to be the new Audi A4 e-tron.

The $5.8 Billion Joint Venture

This expansion into Audi is the direct result of the massive partnership first announced in June 2024. Volkswagen originally pledged $5 billion to Rivian, a figure that was later upped to $5.8 billion.

The goal was simple: Volkswagen gets access to Rivian’s world-class zonal control technology and software, while Rivian gets a massive cash infusion and the scale of a global automotive giant. The partnership, co-headed by Rivian’s Wassym Bensaid and VW’s Carsten Helbing, focuses on creating a software and electronics backbone that can support everything from subcompact cars like the upcoming VW ID.1 to premium luxury SUVs.

By building software in-house, Rivian has created a platform that allows for "over-the-air" updates to almost every digital component — including the drivetrain, steering, and suspension. It is a level of vertical integration that Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has defended since 2018, even when his own board questioned if it was necessary.

Rivian has already received $3.3 billion of the joint venture’s $5.8 billion value so far. Volkswagen is set to pay out another $2 billion to Rivian this year, with the remaining $500 million expected in 2027.

The R2 Launch and Future Licensing

The R2 platform is the "bootstrap" for this entire operation. Rivian is currently finalizing the rollout of its long-anticipated R2 midsize SUV, which is expected to start reaching customers by the end of spring. The company is banking on the R2 to carry it toward profitability.

Rivian Wave

Rivian plans to roll out the R2 in four distinct phases:

R2 Performance ($57,990): Late Spring 2026
R2 Premium ($53,990): Late 2026
R2 Standard Long Range ($48,490): Early 2027
R2 Standard ($45,000): Late 2027

While some critics have questioned the partnership due to the difficulty of integrating EV-only software into VW's remaining combustion-engine fleet, Scaringe remains confident. During a recent interview at SXSW with Fast Company’s Brendan Vaughan, he dismissed the idea of a Volkswagen takeover, stating, “That’s not the outcome we were looking for.” Instead, he sees the VW deal as the first of many licensing agreements where Rivian provides the "digital backbone" for the entire auto industry.

With Audi now locked in for 2028, it’s clear that Rivian’s tech is no longer just for "adventure" vehicles — it's becoming the standard for the next generation of German luxury. It might not be long before Porsche, another Volkswagen brand, follows suit, or Rivian finds itself in a similar arrangement with an automotive brand outside the VW Group entirely.

Rivian Announces R2 Robotaxis With Massive Uber Deal

March 19, 2026

By Nehal Malik

Rivian Wave

Rivian and Uber have just announced a massive partnership to put driverless robotaxis on the road. In a move that sent shockwaves through the EV and tech sectors, Uber has committed to investing up to $1.25 billion in Rivian to deploy a fleet of up to 50,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis.

The deal, announced on Thursday, marks a major step toward making driverless rides a mainstream reality. The collaboration aims to put thousands of unsupervised R2 vehicles on the road across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031.

A Billion-Dollar Bet on Autonomy

The scale of this agreement is staggering. Uber and its fleet partners will initially purchase 10,000 autonomous R2 units, with an option to buy 40,000 more starting in 2030. These vehicles will be available exclusively on the Uber platform. Commercial deployments are slated to kick off in San Francisco and Miami in 2028 before expanding globally.

Rivian Wave

RJ Scaringe, Founder and CEO of Rivian, is optimistic about the tech stack powering this fleet. “The scale of Rivian's growing data flywheel coupled with RAP1, our state of the art in-house inference platform, and our multi-modal perception platform make us incredibly excited for the rapid advancement of Rivian autonomy over the next couple of years,” Scaringe said. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi added that Rivian's vertical integration gives Uber "conviction to set these ambitious but achievable targets."

The R2 Lineup: From Consumer SUV to Robotaxi

While the robotaxis are the long-term goal, Rivian is currently focused on delivering the consumer versions of the R2 to the first lucky customers. The R2 launch is critical for the company’s path to profitability.

Rivian Wave

If you're looking to buy one yourself, here is how the full R2 lineup is rolling out:

R2 Performance ($57,990): Arriving late Spring 2026. This dual-motor AWD flagship boasts 656 hp and a 3.6-second 0–60 mph time. It also features a "Drop Glass" rear window and a semi-active suspension.
R2 Premium ($53,990): Expected in late 2026. This trim offers 450 hp and a 4.6-second 0-60 mph time, though it skips the semi-active suspension.
R2 Standard Long Range ($48,490): The range leader with an estimated 345 miles of range, coming in early 2027.
R2 Standard ($45,000): We don’t know much about the most affordable base model other than that it is currently expected in late 2027.

If you’re still trying to decide which Rivian is right for you, check out our R2 vs. R1S buyer’s guide.

The Jump to Level 4 Autonomy

The R2 units meant for Uber will be a bit different from the early consumer models. While initial consumer R2s will use Rivian’s Gen 2 hardware, the company will pivot to Gen 3 hardware in late 2026. This next-gen suite includes LiDAR sensors and dual RAP1 chips capable of 1600 TOPS of AI compute.

This hardware is what Rivian hopes will enable true Level 4 autonomy — meaning the car can handle all driving tasks in specific conditions without any human intervention. By combining real-world data from its consumer fleet with these high-end sensors, Rivian is betting it can catch up to and eventually surpass current leaders in the space.

The partnership with Uber provides Rivian with both the capital and the platform to prove its tech at a massive scale. As we move closer to 2028, seeing an empty R2 pull up for your Uber ride might soon be the new normal.