Beating Tesla to the punch? Rivian reveals not one, but two new electric cars, including a mid-size SUV and an off-road-focused crossover

Rivian has finally thrown the covers off its much-anticipated R2 mid-size SUV, and in a surprise move, has also revealed the smaller R3 crossover and its R3X performance spin-off.

The three models will ride on an all-new in-house mid-size electric architecture, and will sport two battery sizes with three motor choices, rear-wheel drive, dual-motor all-wheel drive, or tri-motor all-wheel drive for performance applications.

All three models follow the brand's adventure-focused brand promise, with high ground clearance, a large interior space, and a similar high-tech cabin offering as can be seen in its Tesla rival.

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The brand says its R2 mid-size SUV – which will sit under its current R1T electric large SUV – is expected to start from USD$45,000 (AU$68,000) and will sport five seats, a driving range of 'over 550km' and be capable of a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.2 seconds.

According to the brand's European website, the R2 will be its debut product outside of North America, but won't launch until 2027. Interestingly, this is the date which appears on its 'en-GB' webpage, suggesting right-hand-drive production is still in the roadmap. Production for the R2 in the North American market is expected to start in 2026.

The brand says its R2 mid-size SUV – which will sit under its current R1T electric large SUV – is expected to start from USD,000 (AU,000).

Meanwhile, the surprise reveal of the R3 crossover as the brand's smallest and potentially most affordable model should amp up investors, although the brand notes that the crossover SUV will not begin production until after the R2's launch "to ensure a smooth launch and rapid ramp-up of R2", which the brand says is a learning from the simultaneous launch of its original line-up consisting of the R1T ute R1S SUV and EDV commercial van.

Unlike the R2, Rivian does not provide an estimated launch date for the R3, but it's safe to assume the crossover won't arrive until 2028 or later. While the brand also didn't provide an estimated price, it did assure that it will come with a lower starting price than the R2. The biggest threat to this small model will be the also much-anticipated Tesla 'Model 2' small car, which has been in the works for some time and is expected to bring the cost-of-entry down for the brand significantly. A Model 3 currently starts from $61,900 in Australia before on-road costs and incentives.

The R2 will be its debut product outside of North America, but won’t launch until 2027.

Both new Rivian models will not only share a battery, but also a high-density and high-performance 4695 lithium-ion battery (4695 referring to the individual cell form-factor of 46mm diameter by 95mm height), which is notably larger than the 4680 cells hailed as one of the highest-performance and most energy-dense in the industry, as used by Tesla.

Rivian says charging time from 10-80 per cent for both models will arrive in "less than 30 minutes", and onboard safety equipment will be high-end, including 11 cameras, five radars, and a more powerful onboard computer.

The surprise reveal of the R3 crossover as the brand’s smallest and potentially most affordable model should amp up investors.

Other interesting touches include things like built-in flash lights, V2L systems, a variety of clever cabin storage systems, and an innovative array of cabin materials which are said to "balance durability and sustainability with easy-to-clean textile and finishes".

The brand has expanded capacity at its Normal, Illinois manufacturing plant to a total of 215,000 units annually, and it will begin R2 production from here. However, its much-anticipated new plant in Georgia is planned to nearly triple the brand's production capacity, with an additional 400,000 annual units, although construction on the site was temporarily halted so the brand could bolster its financial position in the short term. Thus far, Rivian is yet to turn a profit and loses money on every unit it sells, which makes its expansion plans a race against time.

Unlike the R2, Rivian does not provide an estimated launch date for the R3.

The brand's CEO said in a release that the company was not only focused on the design of the new models, but also its approach to manufacturing and supply chain development in a bid to "achieve dramatically lower costs".

If the Georgia plant ever comes to fruition, it would give the brand a more global-scale annual capacity, although it's worth noting even a smaller Japanese automaker like Subaru has a global capacity of 1.2 million units a year across its Japanese and American manufacturing bases, while Rivian's target rival, Tesla, is now capable of producing over 2.3 million units a year.

It’s safe to assume the R3 won’t arrive until 2028 or later.