Rivian’s Third Vehicle Will Be an Electric Rally-Style Car

Tesla may be the standout player in the EV space right now, but that might not be the case for long. Over the next few years, most established automakers plan to introduce their own electric cars, while several startups hope to break into the market, as well. One of the most interesting of those startups is Rivian. We got a look at its first two vehicles, a pickup truck and an SUV, at the Los Angeles auto show this year. But Rivian’s third vehicle sounds like it will be especially cool.

Speaking with Autocar at the show, RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO, said the brand’s third entry will be a rally-inspired performance car. And while he didn’t specifically mention Local Motors, the car he described sure sounds like an electric version of the impossibly cool Rally Fighter.

“The third vehicle will have a smaller wheelbase [than the R1S SUV] and will be the Rivian interpretation of a rally car with a lot of ground clearance,” said Scaringe. He also described its performance as “bananas.” That said, it won’t be some sort of barely street-legal race car. Scaringe said he believes all Rivians should offer a “combination of on- and off-road performance, and a level of functionality that’s unique in its space.”

And because Rivian builds its vehicles on a skateboard-like electric platform, Scaringe claims the startup can build all kinds of cool cars. “You could build an 800-hp R1T truck or a goods delivery van, or a shuttle bus,” he said.

We may be more interested in the 800-hp pickup truck, but we can admit commercial vans and buses have their charms, too. This Rally Fighter-like EV has piqued our interest, and hopefully we don’t have to wait long to see it.

Source: Autocar

The post Rivian’s Third Vehicle Will Be an Electric Rally-Style Car appeared first on MotorTrend.

from MotorTrend https://ift.tt/2PkZScc