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Rivian Unveils Custom Self-Driving Chip, LiDAR Plan for R2, and $2,500 Autonomy Package

By moving compute in-house, Rivian seeks faster progress on autonomy plus new subscription revenue.

Overview

  • The new 5nm Rivian Autonomy Processor (RAP1) powers the Gen 3 Autonomy Computer (ACM3), replacing Nvidia chips and, per the company, delivering up to 1,600 sparse TOPS and processing 5 billion pixels per second in collaboration with Arm and TSMC.
  • Rivian confirmed LiDAR will be added to next‑generation R2 vehicles, with ACM3 and LiDAR now in validation and expected to ship on R2 at the end of 2026; initial R2 deliveries are still slated for the first half of 2026 without the new hardware.
  • A paid driver‑assistance offering called Autonomy+ launches early 2026 at $2,500 upfront or $49.99 per month, featuring Universal Hands‑Free coverage on more than 3.5 million miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada.
  • Rivian introduced a fleet‑trained Large Driving Model to underpin its autonomy stack, using real and simulated data to move beyond rules‑based systems toward higher levels of automated driving.
  • The Rivian Assistant voice AI is planned for early 2026 on Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 vehicles, with offline operation on R2, and the roadmap targets hands‑free point‑to‑point driving in 2026 followed by eyes‑off features and, longer term, personal Level 4 capability with potential rideshare applications.