Rivian will increase the number of miles its current fleet of EVs can drive hands-free from 150,000 to 3.5 million miles before the end of the year. And, it plans to take things to the next level when it launches its new R2 SUV next year, said CEO RJ Scaringe, making it possible to drive hands-free and “eyes off.”
The autonomous driving wars are heating up, with Rivian firing a shot over the bow of the industry’s presumptive leader, Tesla. Rivian revealed Thursday plans to increase to 3.5 million miles the roadways on which its R1S and R1T battery-electric vehicles can operate hands-free. The current figure is a significantly more modest 150,000 miles.
If there’s a painted line on the road, and it’s clearly marked, you can drive “hands-free” once the update is released using an over-the-air update, James Philbin, the automaker’s vice president of autonomy and AI, said during a presentation on Thursday, Dec. 11.
Just the Autonomous Beginning
But that’s just the first step, Philbin and other Rivian officials noted. When the automaker’s smaller R2 sport-utility vehicle launches late next year, it will carry a more advanced suite of sensors and processing technology enabling it to add Level 3 capabilities.
That technical term, often referred to as “hands-free/eyes-off” driving, means a motorist will be able to set a destination and then text or even watch videos — though they’ll still be required to remain at the ready to retake control of the vehicle in an emergency.
A Revolution on Wheels
The industry is in the midst of “one of the most important technology shifts … since the beginning of the automobile,” said Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, as he opened up the Thursday technology briefing. Just as significantly, “the rate of change (he foresees for the next few years) is an order of magnitude greater than what we’ve experienced in the last three or four years.”
Much of that revolution focuses on autonomous driving. By now, virtually all major automakers offer some degree of hands-free capabilities. The most immediate challenge is to expand the number of miles on which vehicles can operate autonomously.
General Motors’ Super Cruise system, for example, is set to reach 1.2 million miles by year-end, a five-fold increase in the last several years. Where most systems still can only be used on limited-access highways, Rivian’s update will let it join the few that now can operate on local roads, as well. And it puts it in a better position to challenge Tesla’s Autopilot and more advanced Full Self-Driving systems.
Challenging Tesla
The Texas-based automaker is widely seen as the most advanced when it comes to autonomous technology available for retail customers. But Rivian believes it can leapfrog Tesla with the new technology it’s beginning to roll out.
During the presentation, it revealed the new microprocessing system it has developed in-house, substantially increasing the speed of the technology now used in its R1S and R1T vehicles.
That hardware will debut in the new R2 line, which will also be the first Rivian — and one of the few in the industry — equipped with Lidar. That’s a high-resolution 3D laser technology that Rivian will use to supplement the cameras and radar sensors also found on the R2.
For its part, Tesla has maintained the controversial approach of relying solely on cameras. While she didn’t directly mention her competitor by name, Vidya Rajagopolan, Rivian’s Senior Vice President of Electrical Hardware Engineering, said that alone can’t get the job done. “Cameras alone have some shortcomings. They do not perform well under non-ideal lighting conditions.”
Like most other companies, Rivian believes it will require a suite of different sensors to permit full autonomy.
Hands-Free/Eyes-Off
While Rivian will substantially increase the range of its autonomous technology this month, that’s only the beginning of the plans it revealed. The R2 will get hands-free/eyes-off capabilities when it debuts next year.
At the moment, that’s offered by only one other manufacturer operating in the U.S. And, the Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot technology can only be used on limited-access roads in a handful of locations at speeds up to around 40 mph — though it plans to increase that speed in the near future. The technology, said Scaringe, will be available for a one-time price of $2,500, or $49.99 a month.
Autonomous Driving: What’s Next for Rivian
Rivian’s next step will be to permit a motorist to set a “point-to-point” destination. Simply plug it into the onboard navigation system, sit back, and relax.
The longer-term goal, company officials said, will be Level 4 technology. That’s industry speak for the ability to go pretty much anywhere, anytime, without requiring a motorist to be at the ready.
Indeed, without even needing someone in the driver’s seat. The “personal Level 4” system, said Scaringe, will allow “the vehicle to operate entirely on its own. That means the vehicle can drop the kids off at school and pick you up at the airport” all on its own.
As for timing? That could happen as soon as 2027, Rivian officials suggested. Perhaps, but the industry has seen plenty of optimistic forecasts for true driverless technology that have yet to come to fruition. And there’s no guarantee Rivian will be any better at predicting the future.
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