The post Rivian Is Adding Self-Driving Capability To Its EVs, Starting With The R2 SUV appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Rivian is expanding hands-free driving for its electric vehicles and adding advanced self-driving capability starting late next year. Rivian Rivian, the electric vehicle maker created and led by RJ Scaringe, is jumping into the self-driving tech race with plans to add new hardware and software to enable hands-free, eyes-off driving, starting next year with its new R2 model. The company already offers limited hands-free driver-assist features in its R1 pickups and SUVs, but the functionality will increase significantly with better cameras, radar and a laser lidar sensor from late 2026, Scaringe said at a briefing in Palo Alto, California. A new in-house designed chip and computing system is also being added and future upgrades could allow Rivians to operate as robotaxis, he said. “Starting in 2026, we’ll begin rolling out point-to-point capabilities in which the vehicle can drive from address to address. What that means is you can get into the vehicle at your house, plug in the address to where you’re going, and the vehicle will completely drive you there,” he said. “While our initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, which today represent a vast majority of the miles driven in the United States, this also enables us to pursue opportunities in the rideshare space.” For the latest in cleantech and sustainability news, sign up here for our Current Climate newsletter. Rivian remains the most-promising U.S. Tesla rival since entering the market five years ago with the R1 models and its electric delivery vans, though sales have fallen short of initial goals. The new R2, due in early 2026, is to have a base price of about $45,000, tens of thousands of dollars less than the R1S and R1T. Scaringe is counting on it to dramatically increase Rivian’s sales volume, though the loss of federal tax credits…

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Filed under: News - @ December 11, 2025 8:27 pm