Rivian Automotive Inc. shares fell 6.1% on Thursday after the electric vehicle (EV) maker held its first "Autonomy and AI Day," unveiling ambitious plans for self-driving technology that failed to convince investors of its near-term prospects. The stock had dropped as much as 10% during the presentation before recovering slightly by the close.
Credit：Rivian
The company announced it has developed its own artificial intelligence chip to replace Nvidia Corp. technology and unveiled a self-driving roadmap that includes equipping its upcoming R2 sport utility vehicles with new processors and lidar sensors starting in late 2026. Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe called it "a huge commitment that's taken us years," promising dramatically improved performance while lowering costs by hundreds of dollars per vehicle.
Rivian also introduced an Autonomy+ subscription service priced at $2,500 upfront or $49.99 monthly, set to launch in early 2026. The company plans to begin charging existing R1 owners for expanded hands-free driving capabilities early next year, covering 3.5 million miles of roads compared with roughly 135,000 miles currently.
The tepid market reaction reflects investor concerns about Rivian's ability to execute on its autonomous driving ambitions while the company continues to burn cash and struggles with basic production challenges. Its Illinois assembly plant is expected to produce fewer than 50,000 vehicles this year, a fraction of total capacity, and the stock remains down more than 80% from its 2021 IPO highs.
Custom Chip Designed to Replace Nvidia Technology
Rivian unveiled its Rivian Autonomy Processor 1, a custom 5-nanometer chip that will power its next-generation on-board computer, called Autonomy Compute Module 3. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.(TSMC) will produce the processors, which will deliver four times the performance of the Nvidia-powered system in Rivian's current vehicles while processing 5 billion pixels per second.
Two RAP1 chips will work together to enable the new computer system. "Usually you can't lower cost and improve performance. But here, we improved performance dramatically and simultaneously lowered cost by hundreds of dollars per vehicle," Scaringe said in an interview.
The move places Rivian among a small group of automakers developing custom AI silicon, a challenging and expensive undertaking that most manufacturers have avoided. Tesla Inc. has been the main exception, designing its own in-car chips and making them standard hardware to justify the investment. Most automakers rely on specialist chipmakers like Nvidia, Mobileye Global Inc., or Qualcomm Inc.
Multi-Stage Rollout with Lidar and Radar Integration
Starting in late 2026, Rivian's third-generation platform on R2 vehicles will include cameras, a powerful radar array, and a front-facing long-range lidar sensor. The lidar integration represents a key difference from Tesla's camera-only approach, aligning Rivian with robotaxi operators and other automakers that emphasize the sensor's ability to monitor surroundings and back up other systems.
"Lidar has changed a lot. It's no longer a big expense, it's a very small percentage of the vehicle's bill of materials," Scaringe said. The R2 will enter production in the first half of 2026, with deliveries beginning shortly thereafter, though initial vehicles won't have the new chip or lidar and will therefore have more limited automated-driving capabilities.
From 2027, Rivian will gradually introduce software iterations that enable vehicles to travel point-to-point without drivers needing hands on the wheel or eyes on the road. Initially limited to highways, the capability will extend to other road types as the company works toward Level 4 autonomy, where vehicles can operate without anyone in the driver's seat.
Phased Software Features and Subscription Pricing
In the coming weeks, Rivian will send an over-the-air update to existing R1 customers with its latest computer platform, significantly expanding hands-free driving capacity from roughly 135,000 miles to 3.5 million miles of roads in North America. This expanded Universal Hands-Free capability will cover the vast majority of marked roads in the U.S., though it cannot navigate or react to many traffic situations.
The company will start charging for its Autonomy+ software platform early next year, offering existing R1 owners access for either $2,500 upfront or $49.99 monthly. An updated point-to-point version is expected next year, enabling the vehicle to navigate, make turns and change lanes while still requiring eyes on the road.
By comparison, Tesla offers its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system for $8,000 upfront or $99 monthly. The latest generation handles many everyday driving tasks without hands on the wheel, though it still requires active supervision and is not autonomous.
AI-Powered Assistant and Broader Platform Development
Rivian unveiled its Rivian Unified Intelligence platform, featuring an AI-powered chatbot called Rivian Assistant that will launch in early 2026 on first and second-generation vehicles. The voice-based product, built in partnership with Google, will help drivers with tasks and integrate with third-party apps like Google Calendar.
"AI is enabling us to create technology and customer experiences at a rate that is completely different from what we've seen in the past," Scaringe said during the event. Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid added that "Rivian is uniquely positioned to move from a software-defined vehicle and bring to the world an AI-defined vehicle."
At the core of Rivian's autonomy platform is its Large Driving Model, which learns from past and future driving data collected from the company's deployed fleet. This foundation will enable Rivian to upgrade the automated-driving capability of older R1 vehicles ahead of the more complete R2 platform expected in 2027.
Robotaxi Ambitions and Licensing Potential
While Rivian's initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, Scaringe said the autonomous technology enables the company to pursue opportunities in the ride-share space. "While our initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, which today represent a vast majority of the miles driven in the U.S., this also enables us to pursue opportunities in the rideshare space," he said.
Scaringe also indicated openness to licensing the technology to other automakers, including Volkswagen. "What we are building is so well architected at a platform level. It's not hard for us to imagine in the next several years that this becomes a platform we also license," he said.
The autonomous vehicle aspirations are separate from technologies Rivian has agreed to share through a $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen AG for the company's software and electrical architecture. Rivian went public in 2021 in one of the biggest-ever U.S. listings and was initially hailed as a Tesla rival after beating major automakers to market with full-size electric pickups and SUVs.
Pressure to Prove Growth Potential
Rivian faces mounting pressure to demonstrate future growth potential as it continues to burn cash amid slowing U.S. battery electric vehicle sales and competition from Chinese EV makers internationally. The company has repeatedly cut jobs, and shares remain off more than 80% from highs reached shortly after the IPO, though the stock is up about 25% this year.
The fully electric vehicle segment has experienced a sales slump domestically after the Trump administration put an early end in September to a $7,500 federal tax credit previously available for EV buyers. Even so, Rivian continues to hire top talent from Tesla, Apple Inc., and SiliconValley, supported by Volkswagen’s nearly $6 billion commitment to their joint venture.
Rivian's ultimate goal is to sell customers and investors on a higher-margin software business. Scaringe told investors to look at the long term. "This is not a bet one takes lightly, this is a huge commitment that's taken us years," he said. The presentation represented another step for the company, though some investors appeared to decide to sell the news on Thursday.
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