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Rivian Unveils In-House Self-Driving Chip, Autonomy Roadmap and Paid Hands-Free Plan

Staged rollouts start in early 2026, anchored by RAP1 at 5nm, ACM3, plus planned LiDAR.

Overview

  • Rivian introduced RAP1, a custom 5nm processor built by TSMC to power its third‑generation autonomy computer, with up to 1,600 sparse INT8 TOPS, processing of 5 billion pixels per second, and a RivLink interconnect.
  • An Autonomy+ offering launches in 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.
  • The R2 line begins deliveries in the first half of 2026, with ACM3 and a forward LiDAR expected on validated R2 variants starting late 2026, so early R2 units may ship without the full autonomy suite.
  • Rivian detailed a Large Driving Model and the Rivian Unified Intelligence data platform to train and update driving behavior, plus a Rivian Assistant voice interface arriving on Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 vehicles in early 2026.
  • The company adopts a multi‑sensor strategy that adds LiDAR for redundancy, targets eyes‑off and eventual personal Level 4 capability, and keeps the autonomy stack outside its Volkswagen joint venture.