- Rivian teased five new vehicles beyond the previously announced R2 and R3
- Rivian might be working on a smaller electric pickup truck alongside new SUVs
- The new vehicle teasers come as Volkswagen announces it will invest $5 billion in Rivian
Rivian may be working on more models beyond the R2 compact crossover and R3/R3X compact hatchback it presented in March.
During an investor presentation held on Tuesday to detail a tie-up with Volkswagen Group worth up to $5 billion, Rivian showed a slide containing the silhouettes of five mystery vehicles. The slide showed the vehicles together with Rivian's current lineup, all grouped in four columns corresponding to the platforms underpinning the vehicles.
The first column is for the Gen 1 platform found in Rivian's current R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck, plus the commercial van the company originally developed for Amazon.
The second column is for the Gen 2 platform that Rivian presented on June 6 in the updated R1S and R1T. They arrive later this year as 2025 models. The mystery vehicle in the Gen 2 column is likely an updated version of the commercial van.
Slide from Rivian investor presentation outlining deal with Volkswagen Group – June 2024
The third column is for the Midsize platform, referred to in the slide as “MSP,” that Rivian announced during the reveal of the R2 and R3/X. There's another mystery vehicle that is being developed on the MSP platform, possibly an R2T compact pickup truck, a trademark for which surfaced as far back as 2021.
The fourth and final column introduces what Rivian refers to as the Affordable Mass Market platform. Rivian hasn't previously mentioned plans for a platform beyond the MSP, though the slide points to one coming, and with at least three vehicles set to ride on it. These may be entry-level vehicles to target a new crop of affordable EVs on the horizon, like the $25,000 model promised by Tesla.
Rivian is set to hold another investor presentation later today, during which the company might reveal more details about the mystery vehicles.
Rivian's new deal with VW Group will provide the necessary funding to get some of these future vehicle programs off the ground. Under the deal, Rivian and VW Group will establish a 50:50 technology joint venture that will develop hardware and software architectures that both companies will introduce in vehicles due in the second half of the decade.
