Rivian: LiDAR R2 reaches customers in 2027, employees get it this year

Rivian announced that its LiDAR-equipped R2 paired with the in-house RAP1 autonomy computer will be installed in employee vehicles late 2026, with customer deliveries beginning in 2027. RAP1 is the company’s third-generation chip rated at 1,600 sparse INT8 TOPS and was unveiled alongside the LiDAR plan; the R2 initially launched without that hardware. Company executives said LiDAR now costs “a few hundred dollars” versus thousands previously, and bringing RAP1 in-house preserves margin by eliminating third-party silicon payments, with an in-house LiDAR under consideration for further savings. The revised timeline means the previously stated “late 2026” target applies only to employees, delaying customer access.

Immediate functional rollout prioritizes software: point-to-point driving will start on existing Gen 2 hardware and R1 Gen 2 vehicles at the end of the year for early adopters and expand to the full Autonomy+ fleet next year, though complex scenarios like parking lots are excluded initially. Autonomy+ is priced at $2,500 upfront or $49.99/month and is included for R2 Launch Edition buyers. The Uber robotaxi partnership (up to $1.25 billion) is expected to trigger a $250 million tranche in Q4 and targets a late‑2028 service launch contingent on Level 4 capability; Rivian is already running expert-driver data fleets in San Francisco, Chicago and Miami. The strategy favors incremental deployment on existing hardware while deferring broad customer LiDAR deliveries.