Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Interview: Hidden R1 bidirectional charging, R2 NACS, ‘mind-bending’ R3 build timeline, more
Rivian gave us a quick 15 minutes with CEO RJ Scaringe to talk about the R2 and R3. Believe me, we took full advantage of that time to ask the pressing questions you told us you had in our watch party and many others. Some of his answers are the first we’ve heard on the matter.
Rivian R3/X !!!
It is hard to believe that this secret was kept so well. It is the sign of a company that has its act together and loyal employees.
On Rivian R3 vs. R2, there is a contingent within the company that wants to bring out the R3 first. At this moment, the R2 is slated to come out first. At this moment, there is a “stagger” between R2 which will be launched out of Normal in 2026 H1. It sounds like it is uncertain if the R3/X will be launched out of Normal or Georgia. Also it is uncertain what this stagger will be but a year would put R3/X at H1 2027, which is a long way off.
On the R3, RJ called out its “incredible, mind-bending” capability and speed. Put in context, the tri-motor R2 will do 0-60 in ‘well under’ 3 seconds and with the same drivetrain, the smaller, lighter R3X should be significantly faster than that. All of that will still include the ability to go off road. In a hatchback (!!) form factor.
Rivian R2 Pack size
RJ didn’t go into specifics on the kWh capacity of the packs but there will be at least 2 pack sizes. The $45K version with RWD will go under 300 miles or about 270 miles. It is uncertain what the actual EPA will be. The larger pack will be over 300 miles even with the Trimotor under 3 seconds 0-60 version, which is an impressive efficiency for a rocket SUV.
If I had to guess, I would say the larger pack will be around 100kWh and the smaller pack around 80kWh.
R2 NACS port
I think our Jamie Dow was the first to lift the cover off the R2 NACS charge port, but it was hidden a little low on the rear passenger side, which makes it a bit of a hassle for Superchargers. RJ went into some details on the thinking here, including that it will be convenient for current Rivian owners. I do wonder if this will present problems for Tesla Superchargers especially while towing.
Camp Compact Kitchen
Our accessories announcement post assumed that these products would be released in time for the R2. However, RJ said that these new products would be available for R1S/T owners as well and would be released much sooner. This means that the Camp/compact kitchen, complete with an induction oven, will be available soon for R1S and R1T owners. I valiantly offered to review this early, which I know you all would appreciate. Strangely, I’m also interested in the bike rack, tent, and particularly that removable hauler attachment, which can’t come soon enough.
R2 and R1 Bidirectional Charging
This was the first time I’ve heard anyone at Rivian acknowledge on the record that the R1S and R1T had bidirectional charging capability inside, waiting to be unlocked via a software update. That means a 240V inverter could be hung off of it like Ford’s Pro Power and Tesla’s CyberTruck to power a house in case of an outage. This is something that Rivian could “productize” almost immediately and get a good return on minimal investment.
The better news is that R2 will have an integrated 240V AC output option, though only 120V was shown at the event. RJ also said that the 240V AC output would be an upcoming R1S/T option, but it doesn’t sound like it can be retrofitted.
We’re going to keep working to find details here because I know a lot of you (and me) are chomping at the bit for this.
400V or 800V system?
RJ didn’t say on screen which system the battery would be but remarks off the call make me think that this will be a 400V system because of the cost savings aspect. The thinking is that bigger and more powerful vehicles would be better suited to 800V technologies, so perhaps the higher-performance R1/2/3 vehicles in the future will make more sense.
It also means that Rivian vehicles won’t have insanely fast charging compared to Cybertruck, Silverado/Hummer trucks or even Porsche/Hyundai cars but Rivian has been pushing the 400V charging speeds as fast as anyone.
Perhaps what I’ve heard most about Rivian’s presentation today, besides how much everyone wants the R3 and how remarkable it was kept a secret, was that it was refreshing to listen to a down-to-earth, earnest leader.
I’m under no illusion that there is an army of PR folks behind the camera in the interview making sure he reveals as few interesting pieces of news as possible, and you can tell RJ is PR-trained to a fault.
But it is really refreshing that little things like starting the event on time so as not to waste other people’s time, and you can tell this has actually been practiced and reduced to be succinct. Plus, talking to someone in a leadership role who not only knows their product inside and out but also doesn’t make me cringe feels great.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
LiveWire, the electric motorcycle brand spun out of Harley-Davidson, has just announced its latest electric motorcycle model. The new LiveWire S2 Alpanista is built on the same platform as the brand’s last two models, leveraging the Arrow platform as a versatile foundation for several diverse bikes.
The Arrow platform first received its debut with the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, which was then followed by the S2 Mulholland.
LiveWire announced that a high-performance electric maxi-scooter would be produced on the Arrow platform, but not before the company rolled out the S2 Alpinista. “The Alpinista is LiveWire’s first sport standard,” explained the company, “equipped with 17” wheels and tires, blending the best of street, sport, and hyper-tourer characteristics.”
The recently unveiled S2 Alpinista is mechanically quite similar to the two previous models sharing the platform. The 10.5 kWh battery that serves as the main structure of the bike will offer a maximum range of 120 miles (193 km) per charge under city riding conditions. It can be recharged with a Level 2 charger from 20-80% in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The 433 lb (196 kg) bike can achieve a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of just 3.0 seconds, thanks to its powerful 63 kW (84 hp) motor. The S2 Alpinista can also reach an electronically limited top speed of 99 mph (159 km/h).
Priced at US $15,999 and already available at LiveWire dealerships in North America and Europe, the S2 Alpinista officially becomes the most affordable LiveWire electric motorcycle available to date, undercutting the $16,249 S2 Del Mar electric street tracker and the $16,499 Mulholland electric sport cruiser.
“Alpinista reimagines the S2 by combining the urban agility of a supermoto with the do-it-all nature of a touring bike, creating a practical and thrilling sport standard,” explained the brand.
The smaller 17″ wheels help reduce the seat height of the bike, and combined with the Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, the street-optimized bike is ideal for “both daily commutes and spirited rides through winding roads.”
The S2 Alpinista comes with 6-axis IMU from Bosch providing cornering-enhanced antilock braking and cornering-enhanced traction control systems, in addition to four preset ride modes and two custom modes.
Now the third model launched on the Arrow platform, the S2 Alpanista underscores the versatility of LiveWire’s workhorse. The approach was intended to allow the e-motorcycle offshoot to quickly innovate with multiple styles of motorcycles all sharing key structural and drivetrain components. The move has largely been seen as an engineering success, with three models hitting the road in under three years. However, sales have yet to reach targets set by LiveWire as the more premium electric motorcycle industry has experienced a rocky few years.
As a LiveWire S2 Del Mar owner myself, I can attest to both the performance and enjoyable experience of bikes built on the platform, though I do find myself in a somewhat smaller community than LiveWire had likely hoped for. With the backing of its powerful older brother H-D, which retains a controlling stake in the company, LiveWire has enjoyed the relative freedom to cruise for its first few years and focus on motorcycle development and rollouts, with profitability hopefully coming over the horizon in due time.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway