Could These SUVs Become the EV Hits America Needs?

Besides making cars, what do Rivian and Toyota really have in common? I’d say that they share an unfortunate sense of bad timing.

It’s not their fault, either. But both companies picked a rough year to launch crucial new electric-vehicle products, now that EV tax credits are gone and the U.S. government has largely soured on electrification from a policy perspective. 

That doesn’t change the fact that if the Rivian R2 doesn’t find buyers, then this promising American EV startup may not have a future. Or the fact that while Toyota has been late to competitive modern EVs, the new Highlander—made in the U.S., along with its batteries—is a big deal in its own right. The stakes are certainly higher for Rivian, but neither automaker wants to see these EVs fail.

Luckily for them, both seem promising in their own ways. And they’re the subject of this week’s Plugged-In Podcast. 

My co-host Tim Levin and I got to be hands-on with both over the past two weeks. I was on a prototype drive for the Rivian R2, seeing what the dual-motor launch car with 300 miles of range and 656 horsepower should be like. And Tim saw the debut of the Highlander in person this week. While nobody outside of Toyota has driven it yet, that electric three-row SUV seems to be a much more sophisticated EV product than we’ve seen thus far from stuff like the bZ4X.

But again, they don’t have incentives to fall back on. Will they find buyers? That may come down to price, still one of the last big things that haven’t been made public. Watch this week’s show and share your thoughts in the comments. 

Check out the show wherever you get podcasts (find your preferred platform here). Thanks as always for tuning in.

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com.