Rivian may begin manufacturing its own lidar sensors right here in the United States, according to CEO RJ Scaringe, who shared the news with Reuters in a recent interview. If this ambitious plan comes to fruition, the R2 mid-size electric SUV would mark a significant milestone as the first mass-market American EV to feature a domestically produced lidar sensor.
The chief executive of the California EV startup further noted that Rivian is considering producing these lidar sensors in-house, potentially utilizing Chinese technology through a joint venture, rather than simply purchasing pre-assembled sensors from China. While Scaringe didn’t disclose specific names, he confirmed that Rivian is engaged in "active discussions" with several solid-state lidar manufacturers.
Rivian anticipates launching sales of lidar-equipped R2 EVs in late 2026.
"Think of it as finding a way to structurally ingest the technology," Scaringe explained. "The advancements in terms of going from the early lidars that I think a lot of us have seen—we see them here—to these much more advanced solid-state lidars, those advancements didn't happen in the United States. Those advancements happened in China."
View Price on AmazonMany automotive experts consider lidar sensors crucial for achieving genuine autonomous driving capabilities, as they generate a highly detailed three-dimensional map of a vehicle's surroundings. Last year, Rivian garnered attention by announcing that the R2 mid-size electric SUV would come factory-equipped with a lidar sensor. Early demonstration vehicles showcased a static, roof-mounted lidar sensor, notably smaller than the rotating units typically found on Waymo's robotaxis.
However, we've since learned that the initial R2 units rolling off the production line won't include this technology. Rivian opted to accelerate the launch of the mid-size SUV. Consequently, the first R2 batches will be built on an "elevated version of the Gen2 architecture," which also underpins the latest R1S and R1T models, and will come from the factory with Rivian’s improved 65-megapixel HDR camera system and enhanced dual-mode corner radar.
While this current setup should be sufficient for hands-free driving, Rivian is making a significant bet on "eyes-off" driving. This is where the lidar sensor, alongside the company's proprietary first custom chip, the Rivian Autonomy Processor 1 (RAP-1), will play a pivotal role.
The EV manufacturer reiterates that the first lidar-equipped R2 SUVs are expected to begin rolling off the assembly line in late 2026. Rivian previously confirmed to InsideEVs last year that earlier R2 models not fitted with lidar would not be eligible for a hardware upgrade.
Source: insideevs.com
