Rivian teases four new vehicles, and I have no idea what they are

I’ll admit, I was excessively distracted by Rivian’s astonishment announcement of a $5 cardinal woody with Volkswagen to make bundle and electrical vehicles to announcement that the buzzy California institution was besides readying an capitalist time lawsuit connected June 27th.

So to flip into the premix 4 — four! — caller enigma vehicles is either a beauteous bold strategy for the aboriginal oregon a hopeless effort to enactment applicable amid rising costs and cooling involvement successful electrical vehicles. Either way, let’s instrumentality a look astatine these vehicles to spot if we tin marque immoderate guesses astir what they are.

First of all, Rivian’s shroud-covered vehicles look very akin to the ones Tesla revealed during its institution shareholder gathering earlier this month, which raises the anticipation that some are conscionable utilizing the aforesaid tools successful Photoshop to make these images.

Starting from the left, we person Rivian’s OG vehicles: the R1T truck, R1S SUV, and EDV (Electric Delivery Van) for Amazon. In the adjacent column, we person the second-generation R1 vehicles that were announced earlier this month. On apical of those, there’s our archetypal enigma vehicle, which suggests the institution could beryllium moving connected an updated EDV built connected the Gen 2 architecture.

Except that doesn’t truly look similar a van shape. It’s decidedly much truck-shaped — though InsideEVs editor-in-chief (and erstwhile Verge contributor) Patrick George makes a convincing argument that we shouldn’t work excessively overmuch into the assorted shapes. They could beryllium banal images oregon conscionable placeholders. If anything, Rivian could actively beryllium trying to propulsion sleuths disconnected the scent with these shapes. (Rivian spokesperson Liz Markman declined to remark connected the enigma vehicles.)

In the adjacent column, we tin spot the R2 and R3, some of which were unveiled successful March. There’s different enigma conveyance connected apical of that column. And each 3 vehicles volition beryllium built connected an electrical architecture called “MSP,” which stands for “midsized platform.”

And past there’s the 4th file with 3 shrouded vehicles built connected a level simply called “Affordable Mass-Market.” How intriguing! Earlier this year, the R2 and R3 were billed arsenic Rivian’s large play for affordable EVs, with the erstwhile starting astatine $45,000. Rivian hasn’t enactment a terms connected the R3 oregon the show trim R3X but to accidental it volition beryllium little than the R2.

So what are we to marque of each of this? It seems apt that a fewer of these enigma vehicles volition beryllium trucks. Trucks are immoderate of the bestselling vehicles successful North America. Rivian’s archetypal conveyance was the R1T. Trucks are successful the company’s DNA. So does that mean we’re going to get an R2T oregon R3T oregon possibly adjacent X variants of both? It’s possible!

While the remainder of the car manufacture is prioritizing big, dense electrical trucks that merchantability for six figures, Rivian could shingle things up with a cheaper, smaller truck. The institution didn’t notation whether it was moving connected specified a conveyance during the R2 announcement successful March. And nary of these silhouettes are instantly screaming “truck,” truthful it’s unclear whether that’s really successful the cards.

Another happening to enactment is that the affordable mass-market vehicles are each antithetic shapes. I know, we can’t spot the shapes! But this could inactive mean that determination are astatine slightest small, medium, and ample vehicles successful the works for that category. That seems important.

The information that Rivian is moving connected a trio of vehicles that are even cheaper than the R2 and R3 is encouraging. Other automakers person stumbled successful their attempts to nutrient genuinely affordable EVs. Tesla has gone back and forth connected whether it volition marque a $25,000 “Model 2”-type vehicle. The Volvo EX30 is getting caught up successful the commercialized warfare with China and apt won’t merchantability for its promised $35,000. Chevy is lone present rolling retired its Equinox EV but hasn’t yet offered the $35,000 mentation that was announced.

If Rivian joins the fray, that would beryllium interesting. The institution intelligibly doesn’t privation to get pegged arsenic an automaker that exclusively makes luxury vehicles connected par with Land Rover oregon Mercedes-Benz, churning retired costly trucks and SUVs for the superrich. Still, it volition request to interruption retired of the “EV vale of death” successful which its costs transcend its gross and commencement showing signs of semipermanent survivability earlier it tin tackle that project. The lifeline from Volkswagen — $1 cardinal close away, with an further $4 cardinal to travel — volition surely assistance successful that effort.

I similar that contempt its fiscal woes, Rivian is inactive playing the agelong game. Maybe soon capable we’ll get a peek astatine what’s nether those shrouds.