• Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said the R3X will enter production before the R3
• No firm timeline for when the R3X, or R3, arrives has been given
• The R3X and R3 are based on the R2, which enters production in 2026

The Rivian R3X performance variant will arrive before the base R3 electric hatchback, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in an interview with The Verge. Scaringe didn’t say exactly when that would be, though.

The Rivian CEO said the automaker would launch the R3 models “as soon as we possibly can” after the Rivian R2, the $45,000 electric SUV that Rivian aims to bring to production in 2026.

“We’re launching R2 first, allowing some time to get that stable, and then launching R3,” Scaringe told The Verge. “I will say this: The first R3 that we’re launching, it’s going to start with R3X.”

Unveiled in a Steve Jobs-like “one more thing” moment at the R2 debut event, the R3 and R3X sit lower than the R2 and are much shorter, with more car-like styling. Rivian has confirmed that the R3 will cost less than the R2, although the sportier R3X could be more expensive than the base model.

The R3 models will be built on the same skateboard chassis as the R2 with 4695-style battery cells. Rivian plans to offer single-motor, dual-motor, and tri-motor powertrains, the latter with one motor for the front axle and two for the rear. Given its performance intent, the R3X is likely to skip at least the single-motor powertrain. While the R2 will start production in Normal, Illinois, it’s unclear where the R3 and R3X will be built.

During an investor presentation last month, Rivian confirmed a tie-up with the Volkswagen Group that will see VW take a $5 billion stake in the U.S. automaker in return for access to Rivian’s electrical architecture and software-development resources. Rivian also teased five more vehicles, including more affordable models that could be priced even lower than the R3.