The Volvo EX60 and Rivian R2 are here. What to know about these revolutionary EVs

Volvo's chief technology officer, Anders Bell, talks to his EX60 sport utility vehicle a lot.

The electric EX60, which debuted in January and will be available at U.S. dealers in September, may arguably be the most significant vehicle for the brand in recent memory. It's also the first Volvo to be built with Google's AI assistant Gemini and the "most intelligent" Volvo to ever be produced.

Unlike Chinese drivers, who frequently engage with their vehicle's AI, many Swedes (and Americans) are skeptical, or disinterested in doing so. That's about to change, according to Bell, who has spent countless hours perfecting the HuginCore operating system (named after "a bird in Norse mythology") in the Swedish automaker's new EX60 midsize SUV.

"Voice is massive in China. In the West, we are more reluctant to talk to our machines," Bell told ABC News. "I listen less and less to the radio ... I have conversations in the car with Gemini. The car becomes an extension of you. We need to create a system you trust, which you love, and activate all the time."

The five-seater EX60 (MSRP $58,400) adds 173 miles in under 10 minutes when plugged into a 400 kW fast charger, according to Volvo. The sleek SUV can travel up to 400 miles on a single charge with the more powerful P12 all-wheel-drive model, which is expected to arrive shortly after the P6 and P10 configurations go on sale.

"This is bleeding-edge software ... an uncompromised Volvo," Bell said. "We still have untapped capabilities with this car."

Like Volvo, electric carmaker Rivian has high expectations for its newly released SUV, the winsome R2. These two vehicles, along with the BMW iX3, could truly reshape EV sales in the U.S. and help Americans realize that EVs make driving more enjoyable, not less.

"There are 6 million EVs on road today. There is no sign of buyer regret for EV buyers," Itay Michaeli, an analyst at TD Cowen, told ABC News.

"The credit and emissions changes may have been painful," he added. "Demand is starting to pick up and you could argue that EVs are less politicized than a few years ago."

Michaeli, who is bullish on Rivian and recently upgraded the stock from "hold" to "buy," said Rivian could see higher sales of the R2 as demand for electrics rebounds from last winter's low. Rivian said it will produce three versions of the midsize R2, with the top variant, the Performance, available now for $57,990. Less expensive R2 models arrive later this year and next.

"The R2 is a very important vehicle but also really important for the brand," Michaeli noted. "Now it's all about execution and seeing where demand is. [Rivian] will have to be able to make adjustments quickly" if sales are sluggish, he argued.

Jeff Hammoud, Rivian's chief designer, said the company is "trying to offer something different" for U.S. drivers, especially those who may have only bought Teslas.

"More choices are what we need right now," he told ABC News. "We have chosen to make the R2 not have the jellybean shape that you see in a lot of the other EVs ... we wanted it to have a more upright position. It's a more adventurous vehicle with off-road capability."

Hammoud also tweaked the R2's interior after hearing complaints from the company's R1 SUV customers, like moving the audio speakers to the center console, increasing frunk storage and including drive modes on the steering wheel's "haptic halos."

"We spent a ton of time on every aspect of this vehicle," he said. "The features we added were because customers were asking for them. The haptic halos on the wheel [allow] you to change the fan speed and temperature without taking your hand off the wheel."

He went on, "The R2 is not just a cheaper version of the R1. We learned a lot and improved things from the R1. You can even put a full-size water bottle now in the car."

John Voelcker, a contributing editor at Car and Driver who has covered EVs for 15 years, said Volvo and Rivian are in similar situations and expects these new EVs to make an impression with consumers.

"I thought the R2 was an extremely good EV," he told ABC News. "This has to be the breakout car for them -- it has to be their Model Y," referring to Tesla's top seller.

Voelcker called the EX60 a "reboot" for Volvo, pointing to its updated software and all-new electrical architecture, which the company has spent heavily on to develop. The EX60 also mirrors the design of the extremely popular XC60 Volvo and drives similarly to the brand's popular hybrid models.

"Volvo has a lot of experience with regen [breaking] and accelerator feel and the controls are lighter," he said. "It was very pleasant to drive."

Of course, the looming test for both marques will be whether these SUVs impact Tesla's hold on the market and sway consumers who may not buy vehicles because of the latest and greatest tech.

"Will Rivian get people out of Tesla? We don't know. That is the big question," Voelcker said. "U.S. consumers are seeking a car that meets the needs of their lifestyle and they are concerned about range. A large portion of the market is EV curious [but] doesn't care about hands-off driving or over-the-air updates."

RJ Scaringe, Rivian's CEO and founder, said the R2 delivers on what matters most to Americans -- everyday usability, efficiency and capability for towing or off-road trips.

"The fact that the R2 is an EV is secondary," he told ABC News. "If we want people to move toward electrification, we can't make it polarizing, we shouldn't make it about sustainability ... we make the product so compelling that whether it's EV or not EV, you want it."

Scaringe said the company will sell "hundreds of thousands" of R2s once its Georgia plant comes online in late 2028 and his team has already begun ramping up the supply chain to meet consumer orders.

"It's very clear what the end state is -- it's going to electric, vehicles are going to be intelligent and they're going to be autonomous," he said. "The R2 is a real alternative to a Tesla. It's also the fastest thing you can buy that's $50,000."

All attention right now is on the R2, but the automaker has been dropping hints about future Rivians, like an R4 and R5. Neither will be a station wagon nor a sports car, however.

"There are no plans to make one currently, but if we did a sports car, it would be something not typical," Hammoud said. "We have worked on some awesome concepts. We have a lot of gearheads in our design studio, myself included."

Since becoming president of the Americas for Volvo Cars, Luis Rezende's main focus has boosting sales of the marque's conveyances, and the EX60 could be the answer. U.S. consumers don't have to "change their life" with an electric vehicle, he told ABC News, saying the EX60's appeal is broad.

"We're targeting new customers to the brand and it's a huge opportunity for us," he said.

Plus, it's the first EV from Volvo that's eligible for the marque's Overseas Delivery program, which is available to U.S. consumers who purchase the EX60 and other Volvos built at the plant in Torslanda, Sweden. The free perk lets new owners and a guest experience the vehicles in the city of Gothenburg or in various European destinations, where the vehicle is then shipped back to a U.S. dealership for final delivery.

Rezende said past and current Volvo owners will find a lot to like about the EX60.

"The tech is so evolutionary and the product is so great," he said. "We have high intentions with this car."