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Major·3 days ago

Rivian Announces Custom Silicon and R2 Lidar Roadmap

SemiconductorsProduct/LaunchRobotics
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Rivian just dropped a bombshell that could reshape the entire EV race 🔥

The electric truck maker announced they're building their own custom computer chips and revealed an ambitious lidar roadmap for their upcoming R2 vehicle—including universal hands-free driving capabilities.

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While most car companies buy off-the-shelf technology from suppliers, Rivian is taking the Apple approach: building their own silicon chips in-house to power their autonomous driving systems. This vertical integration strategy mirrors what Tesla started years ago.

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Key facts:

  • Rivian is developing custom silicon (specialized computer chips) for their Driver+ advanced driver assistance system
  • The R2 vehicle (Rivian's upcoming smaller, more affordable SUV) will feature lidar sensors as standard equipment
  • Universal hands-free driving capability is planned across their entire roadmap
  • This positions Rivian to compete directly with Tesla's Full Self-Driving and GM's Ultra Cruise systems
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ELI15: Let's break this down

Think of it like this: most car companies buy "ready-made" computer brains from suppliers like Intel or Nvidia—kind of like buying a Dell computer with pre-installed Windows. Rivian is now designing their own custom brain chips, like Apple designing the M1/M2 chips specifically for MacBooks.

Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) works like a bat's echolocation but with laser beams instead of sound. It shoots out laser pulses and measures how long they take to bounce back, creating a precise 3D map of everything around the vehicle—other cars, pedestrians, trees, curbs. It's like giving the car superhero vision that works perfectly in complete darkness or blinding sunlight.

Custom silicon means Rivian can optimize the chip's architecture specifically for autonomous driving tasks, making it faster and more efficient than general-purpose chips. It's like having a chef who only makes pizza versus a short-order cook who makes everything—the pizza specialist will be faster and better at that one task.

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Why this matters for regular people:

For drivers, this means safer highways as more vehicles get advanced driver assistance. Rivian owners will eventually be able to take their hands off the wheel on approved roads (though they'll still need to pay attention). For the broader market, this increases competition with Tesla, which could drive down prices for autonomous features across all brands.

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Key players involved:

  • Rivian (obviously)—the EV startup that's been delivering R1T trucks and R1S SUVs since 2021
  • Tesla—the 800-pound gorilla that's been pushing custom silicon and "vision-only" autonomous driving (no lidar)
  • GM—with their Ultra Cruise system competing in the hands-free space
  • Luminar and other lidar manufacturers—who supply the laser sensors Rivian will use
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What this changes concretely:

  • Timeline acceleration: Rivian customers will get hands-free capabilities faster than if they relied on third-party suppliers
  • Cost structure: Owning the chip design could eventually lower production costs, though R&D investment is massive upfront
  • Competitive pressure: Tesla now faces a serious challenger in the "build our own silicon" space, not just another EV maker buying Nvidia chips
  • Technology roadmap control: Rivian can now update and improve their autonomous driving capabilities without waiting for suppliers
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Future implications:

This signals a broader industry shift toward vertical integration in autonomous driving. We're likely to see more car manufacturers either developing their own chips or forming deeper partnerships with silicon companies. The "brains" of self-driving cars are becoming a core competitive differentiator—not just another component to source from suppliers.

For consumers, this could mean faster innovation cycles in vehicle technology. Companies controlling their own silicon can push software updates that unlock new capabilities, similar to how smartphones improve over time through OS updates.

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Quick take:

Rivian's move is smart but risky. Building custom silicon is incredibly expensive and complex—even Apple took decades to perfect it. But if they succeed, they'll have a massive competitive advantage in the autonomous driving race. This isn't just about making better EVs; it's about controlling the core technology that will define the next decade of transportation.

The EV wars just got more interesting 🚀

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