Despite a number of promising reveals, investors could not mask their disappointment in the lack of an R2 launch timeline. By Stewart Burnett
Rivian has hosted its inaugural Autonomy and AI Day in Palo Alto, using the event to unveil its custom-designed RAP1 processor and third-generation autonomy computer targeting SAE Level Level 4 self-driving capabilities. The US electric vehicle (EV) maker confirmed it will integrate LiDAR into the forthcoming R2 crossover alongside the proprietary silicon, processing five billion pixels per second.
During his remarks, Chief Executive RJ Scaringe said the technologies enable pursuit of robotaxi opportunities beyond personally-owned vehicles. “Now, our initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, which today represent a vast majority of the miles in the US,” he said. “This also enables us to pursue opportunities in the rideshare space.”
Among the main topics of the event was the Universal Hands-Free driving system, which will launch in early 2026 and cover 3.5 million miles of North American roads. The feature will be available via an Autonomy+ subscription priced at US$2,500 upfront or US$49.99 monthly. The system utilises Rivian’s Large Driving Model, which the company notes is trained similarly to large language models. By contrast, Tesla offers its FSD Supervised option for US$8,000 upfront or US$99 monthly, and eschews LiDAR for a purely camera-based sensor system.
A launch date for the much-hyped R2 SUV was conspicuously absent from the day’s announcements, although details on its autonomy system were not. Rivian confirmed the vehicle will feature 11 cameras, five radar units and a single LiDAR module providing three-dimensional spatial data and redundant sensing for edge case detection.
Another key announcement was the AI-powered voice assistant, Rivian Assistant, which is set to launch in early 2026 across both first and second-generation vehicles. The system features voice-activated controls integrated with Google Calendar as its initial third-party application. The AI platform runs on Rivian Unified Intelligence, a shared multi-modal data foundation supporting diagnostics, predictive maintenance and service infrastructure.
On the whole Rivian used the event to demonstrate its commitment to in-house developed technology; it should be noted however that the autonomous systems are wholly separate from the EV maker’s US$5.8bn joint venture with Volkswagen. The tie-up solely covers Rivian’s software and electrical architecture for future vehicles.
Despite the upbeat tone of the event, Rivian faces steep challenges in its native US market due to reversals in EV policy under the Trump administration. Rivian no longer expects to draw revenue from selling carbon credits, and the elimination of federal tax credits up to US$7,500 for new EV purchases will also weaken demand. Shares declined 6.1% following the event, due largely to investor disappointment in the absence of specific R2 launch timelines.