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Rivian launched the much-anticipated R2 – and the surprise R3 – on Thursday, however on the time we solely noticed the vehicles on stage, in isolation. Now video has emerged displaying these vehicles driving on public roads, subsequent to different vehicles, providing a greater visible dimension comparability, and a take a look at the vehicles in movement within the daylight.
Within the R2 unveiling, Rivian did inform us all the scale of the R2, so the comparisons there aren’t as vital. We all know it will likely be a bit of taller and rather less lengthy than the Mannequin Y, however in any other case fairly shut in dimension (although fairly completely different in form, with a much less aerodynamic however taller back-end).
However it’s nonetheless good to see it on the street, driving beneath its personal energy, at greater than 1mph, and with different vehicles round. Whereas we already noticed it on a stage and in particular person, it may be powerful to actually gauge the dimensions of vehicles whenever you’re in a large crowd of individuals and solely two new vehicles in isolation, with out different acquainted automobiles round.
The movies had been taken in sunny Laguna Seashore, simply outdoors the Rivian South Coast Theater the place the reveal occasion occurred. The vehicles had been driving on Pacific Coast Freeway, simply in entrance of Major Seashore – which is an space that usually has heavy visitors with loads of different vehicles round. That is annoying whenever you’re making an attempt to get to an occasion on time, however good whenever you need to see how vehicles look in comparison with different vehicles.
The primary video was posted on reddit after which 2 more were compiled on Rivian Forums (although we’re unsure of the unique supply but), and present each vehicles driving and the R3X loading right into a automobile trailer. We’ve embedded them beneath.
The primary video exhibits the R3X after which the R2 (the white automobile driving behind the R3X within the first half is an R1, not an R2).
The R3X is obscured for lots of this video (partially behind a gasoline station signal displaying gasoline at as much as $5.49/gallon, fairly a bit greater than the 23 cents/kWh, or about $1/gal equal, which I pay after I cost off-peak at house close by), and sadly we solely get a shot of it driving away from us. It’s additionally on a heavily-crowned a part of the street with nothing subsequent to it till the tip of the video, the place we are able to see it wanting maybe a bit of shorter than the small truck throughout the street, and positively a lot shorter than the trailing R1.
We get a a lot clearer shot of the R2 up shut, which appears as anticipated – very shut in design to the R1, simply smaller. A Hyundai Tucson and Kia Soul drive by behind the R2, with the R2 wanting a bit taller than each (when accounting for street crowning), however positively in the identical “mid-size SUV” ballpark (and observe Rivian auto design chief Jeff Hammoud is sighted ultimately of the video, taking his personal video of the automobile driving by on his cellphone).
The second video provides us our greatest general shot, this time of the R3 driving up and previous, after which close-up on a smaller and flatter street. And it, or the gang in entrance of the theater photographing it, actually appears to be bringing numerous pleasure to the fortunate riders inside.
Because it drives up, it appears fairly imposing from the entrance, and in isolation you wouldn’t be blamed for considering it appears quite a bit like an R1.
However when wanting on the different vehicles round, its smaller dimension is instantly obvious. It actually appears dwarfed by the R1 behind it, and the Mannequin Y beside as nicely. Transferring additional alongside, its “one thing between a hatchback and a crossover” kind issue turns into much more obvious because it drives by sedans, small SUVs, compact vans and vans. Specifically, the comparability to a Scion xB is attention-grabbing – one other quirky, boxy automobile that straddled the “small SUV/compact automobile” classes. And as soon as once more, on the finish of the video, you may see how comparatively large the R1S is to the R3.
Lastly, we see the R3X being loaded right into a automobile trailer – which is attention-grabbing, on condition that Rivian HQ is principally on the identical street because the theater, simply 10 miles up Laguna Canyon in Irvine.
This video doesn’t inform us as a lot (besides that it matches in an enclosed automobile trailer – which is one thing the close by R1S may need a more durable time with). However we wished to incorporate it for completeness.
As for different dimension comparisons, one other consumer analyzed a photograph of the R3X and thinks it’s a bit taller, but much less long than a Golf GTI. This estimate suggests it to be a full ~20 inches (!) shorter than the Ioniq 5, a automobile which it has drawn many comparisons to as a consequence of its form and proportions, and even shorter than the Volvo EX30 and Bolt EV.
Whereas this comparability is just primarily based on one official picture of a prototype, the picture is taken instantly side-on and thus provides a very good view of the automobile, and since we all know the dimensions of the tires and the automobile’s wheelbase (2,799mm/110.2in), we are able to come to a fairly good estimate, if not completely correct.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve stated many occasions right here that I’m a small-car man (and you should be too), so seeing Rivian go massively downsize is thrilling to me. I used to be anxious it might find yourself being a truck-and-SUV model primarily (despite the fact that it started with a prototype sportscar), however the R3 in additional of a “sizzling hatch” format exhibits that they’re able to department out. This is a vital factor for a startup, to point out that it’s able to making numerous merchandise to attraction to quite a lot of clients, so this can be a massive second for Rivian.
Plus, I’ve had numerous discussions just lately with auto business folks and journalists that we may be hitting “massive automobile fatigue” as a society quickly (I actually have), and that we would lastly get some smaller-sized vehicles in upcoming years, as an alternative of the ever-present large SUVs and vans that we see now.
Perhaps that is wishful considering – however the reception we’ve seen for the R2 and significantly the R3, which appears much more thrilling the extra obvious its small dimension turns into, means that this may very well be the case.
The one downside right here is that Rivian unveiled the 2 vehicles similtaneously one another, with the R2 popping out first. So we hope the large pleasure over the R3 doesn’t end in them Osborne-ing their very own unreleased product, the R2, with an much more unreleased product, the R3.
Although Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has a plan to keep people interested, which he talked about in an interview with Electrek’s Seth Weintraub (you may see the full interview here, or a writeup of it here). And I’m prepared to wager there are conferences occurring proper now about easy methods to convey the R3 ahead as rapidly as attainable, given the reception it’s gotten (additionally, I feel the R3 goes to go completely gangbusters in Europe, primarily based on dimension and elegance).
One ultimate observe, on the varied wheel designs – I don’t love the R2 wheels, which appear a bit of distracting when in movement with these 5 silver squares spinning round. Comparable goes for the R3 wheels and their 4-shape design, however to a lesser extent. Our shot of the R3X in movement is a bit more distant, however I feel I like these wheels probably the most. This strains up with my opinion after I noticed them on the stage, and my private common predilection in the direction of smaller wheels with extra rubber quite than bigger ones with much less rubber.
(Additionally, a observe on wheels: we’d like more aerodynamic wheels on the whole, as if we utilized aero wheel covers to all vehicles on the street, we may cut back US whole – not automotive – power use by one thing like 1%, which is fairly large for such a small change).
What do you consider the R2, R3 and R3X now that we’ve seen all of them driving on public roads? Each their appears, and their sizes? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
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