Rivian's R3X, a rally-style hot hatch, arrives before the R3.

The Rivian R3X performance variant will arrive before the base R3 electric hatchback, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in an interview with The Verge this week. Scaringe did not say exactly when that will be.

Rivian CEO said Rivian will launch the R3 model “as soon as possible” after the Rivian R2, a $45,000 electric SUV that Rivian aims to put into production in 2026.

“We'll launch the R2 first, give it time to stabilize, and then launch the R3,” Scarling told The Verge. I can tell you this: our first launch of R3 will start with R3X.”

Announced in a Steve Jobs-like “one more thing” moment at the R2's debut event, the R3 and R3X are lower, shorter, and more car-like in styling than the R2. Rivian has confirmed that the R3 will be less expensive than the R2, but the sportier R3X could be more expensive than the base model.

The R3 model will have the same skateboard chassis as the R2 with 4695-style battery cells. Rivian plans to offer single-motor, dual-motor, and tri-motor powertrains, the latter with one motor on the front axle and two in the rear; given the R3X's performance orientation, at least a single-motor powertrain is likely to be omitted. Production of the R2 will begin in Normal, Illinois, but it is unknown where the R3 and R3X will be built.

In an investor presentation last month, Rivian confirmed a partnership with Volkswagen Group, which will invest $5 billion in the US automaker in return for access to Rivian's electric architecture and software development resources. Rivian also announced five more models, including a more affordable model that could cost even less than the R3.