Rivian Links Future Autonomous EVs to New Vehicle Designs
Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe says advances in autonomous driving could let the electric-vehicle maker create substantially different vehicle designs after its R2 and R3 models. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Scaringe said personally owned autonomous vehicles could open new form factors and experiences, while Rivian continues investing in software despite the potential effect on the timing of profitability.
The company still faces major execution steps before reaching driverless operation. Rivian is beginning to scale production of the R2 SUV, a model it needs to launch successfully as it seeks to reverse the losses accumulated while building its EV business. Its autonomous-driving work is also relatively recent: Rivian reworked its self-driving software approach only a few years ago.
Autonomy is central to Rivian’s product roadmap
Rivian has already shipped a driver-assistance system that permits hands-off driving, provided that the driver continues watching the road. It has said the system should be able to complete point-to-point navigation by the end of the year without driver intervention, although it will remain a supervised feature.
Full autonomy remains a later objective. Rivian plans to deploy robotaxi versions of the R2 SUV through Uber’s ride-hail app, but Scaringe expects much of the eventual autonomous driving activity to occur in household-owned vehicles rather than solely in fleets. The company’s R2, robotaxi and autonomy ambitions were also a focus of Rivian’s R2 and autonomy plans at Disrupt as Rivian prepared to outline its plans at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Personal ownership shapes the design argument
Scaringe said 95% of miles driven in the United States, representing trillions of miles, are currently driven in personally owned vehicles. He acknowledged that share could decline as Level 4 systems emerge, but argued that the majority of driving is likely to remain in personally owned vehicles for societal and psychological reasons.
That view informs Rivian’s interest in designing for autonomy beyond its current outdoors-oriented SUVs and trucks. The wider industry has long promoted the idea that autonomous operation and battery-electric platforms could produce new mobility formats, from pod-like cabins to “rooms on wheels.” Those concepts largely remained prototypes as autonomy took longer to develop and manufacturers encountered the challenges of producing and selling a new vehicle category.
More capable systems, but no announced R4 design
Scaringe’s comments come as robotaxis operate in multiple cities, and as EV motors and batteries have become less expensive while manufacturers have improved their ability to build electric vehicles at scale. He said these developments make the next decade of transportation especially compelling, while noting that integration with cars, cyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles still presents issues.
Rivian has not disclosed the design of a vehicle beyond R3. Scaringe said the next model would be called R4, but offered no specifications or timing. For businesses tracking Rivian, the practical implication is that novel autonomous vehicle concepts remain dependent on supervised software milestones, reliable R2 production and a later transition to full autonomy.