Rivian to Release Supervised Self-Driving System Later This Year
Rivian plans to launch supervised point-to-point driving technology in its vehicles by the end of 2026. The system will require driver oversight and is described as comparable to existing supervised driver-assistance offerings. Unsupervised operation is scheduled for 2027.
Rivian will introduce a supervised self-driving system for its vehicles later this year, the company said Thursday. The technology is intended to allow point-to-point driving under driver supervision and is positioned as comparable to current supervised driver-assistance systems.
The company currently offers an advanced driver-assistance system called Universal Hands-Free. That system manages steering and speed on approximately 3.5 million miles of marked roads in the U.S. and Canada but does not handle navigation through intersections or parking areas.
The planned supervised system is expected to add those navigation functions while still requiring a driver to remain attentive. Company leadership stated that unsupervised, hands-free and eyes-off operation is targeted for release in 2027.
Rivian has also incorporated autonomous-driving development into plans for a future robotaxi program. In March the company reached a $1.25 billion agreement under which Uber could purchase up to 50,000 R2 vehicles for potential robotaxi use.
