Rivian plans to offer insights into its upcoming advancements through a dedicated event on autonomy and artificial intelligence set for December 11. The session begins at noon Eastern Time and will be available to stream directly on the Rivian site. Engadget intends to deliver real-time updates from the event in this space, highlighting significant developments as they unfold and providing our analysis.
The focus of the gathering points toward explorations of self-driving technologies in Rivian's automobiles. Insights from RivianTrackr point to potential disclosures on the 'Universal Hands Free' capability, a term used by CEO RJ Scaringe. In a recent account, Scaringe described completing a two-hour journey across Palo Alto, California, in a next-generation Rivian R1 where the system managed all operations without intervention. It appears probable that a demonstration of this hands-free system will occur, especially with the affordable R2 variant slated for release in 2026.
During the current year, Rivian announced intentions to introduce a feature allowing hands-off and eyes-off driving in 2026, limited to defined environments using second-generation models. The Autonomy and AI event offers a prime chance for further elaboration on this timeline. Upon revealing the original R1T and R1S in 2018, Rivian pledged compatibility with Level 3 self-driving, which enables drivers to disengage hands and eyes from the wheel temporarily on highways.
RivianTrackr further predicts discussions on the company's sensor approaches, progress in artificial intelligence, and programs for learning from its vehicle network. A broader outline of future autonomy milestones could also emerge. Nevertheless, the outlet notes that Rivian is unlikely to reveal concrete launch dates or set prices for advanced fully autonomous options at this stage.