It’s only been a week since Rivian unveiled two new additions to its expanding lineup of EVs, but the Californian startup may have more surprises in store for its current range.
Recently, it came to light that Rivian filed a trademark application for the name ‘R1X’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office back in 2021. However, the application wasn’t published online until October 2023. This indicates that the brand might be developing a more rugged or higher-performance version of either the R1S SUV, the R1T pickup, or possibly both.
At the recent launch of the R2 and R3 in California, Rivian unveiled a flagship variant of its planned all-electric hatchback in the form of the R3X. It will be able to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than 3 seconds and if the company is indeed working on a similar X-badged version of the R1T or R1S, then EV buyers could have another compelling and blisteringly fast vehicle to choose from.
Read: Rivian R1T Proves As Efficient As A Ram TRX In 1,100 Mile Test
The trademark application, discovered by Motorauthority, does not specify whether the X badge will be applied to the R1S or R1T. If used for a flagship version of the R1S, it could compete against vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV SUV, Tesla Model X Plaid, and a potential Sapphire-badged version of the upcoming Lucid Gravity. On the other hand, an X version of the R1T could be a fitting response to the Tesla Cybertruck’s record-breaking ‘CyberBeast’ variant.
Rivian’s most powerful existing versions of the R1S and R1T use a quad-motor system with 835 hp and 908 lb-ft (1,231 Nm) of torque. With upgraded motors, those figures could exceed the magical figure of 1,000 hp. Like most other performance EVs, however, the driving range of the R1X would likely suffer compared to other versions.
Late last year, a report claimed that a new flagship version of the R1T and R1S will arrive this year and include a new ‘Ascent’ trim with over 1,000 hp. It is possible that this model could be the same as a future R1X.
Note: This story includes a Carscoops illustration based on a Rivian patent, as seen below
