Rivian unveiled its first proprietary silicon and outlined its roadmap for Level 4 autonomy at the company’s inaugural Autonomy and AI Day in Palo Alto on Thursday, marking what founder and CEO RJ Scaringe called “an inflection point for the ownership experience.”
At the core of Rivian‘s technology roadmap is the transition to in-house silicon designed specifically for vision-centric physical AI.
The first-generation Rivian Autonomy Processor (RAP1) is a custom 5nm chip that integrates processing and memory onto a single multi-chip module, delivering advanced levels of efficiency, performance, and Automotive Safety Integrity Level compliance.
RAP1 features RivLink, a low-latency interconnect technology that allows chips to be connected to multiply processing power, making the architecture inherently extensible.
The processor is enabled by an in-house developed AI compiler and platform software, according to the EV maker.
Here’s the video shared by Rivian.
“Our updated hardware platform, which includes our in-house 1600 sparse TOPS inference chip, will enable us to achieve dramatic progress in self-driving to ultimately deliver on our goal of delivering L4,” Scaringe said.
“This represents an inflection point for the ownership experience — ultimately being able to give customers their time back when in the car,” he added.
Gen 3 Autonomy Compute Module
RAP1 powers the company’s third-generation autonomy computer, the Autonomy Compute Module 3 (ACM3), which delivers 1,600 sparse INT8 TOPS and the processing power of 5 billion pixels per second.
“Over the last few years, we’ve also been developing our Gen 3 substantially enhanced platform, and this will underpin a massive leap forward,” Scaringe told attendees. “Starting in late 2026, our Gen 3 autonomy platform will include 65 megapixels of cameras, a robust radar array, and a front-facing long-range LiDAR.”
Scaringe emphasized that Rivian designed the entire architecture around an AI-centric approach that leverages fleet data to continuously improve autonomous driving models.
“We’ve designed this entire architecture around an AI-centric approach, where the data flywheel of our deployed fleet helps the model get better and better through reinforcement learning,” Scaringe said.
“Not only does this sensor set enable a much higher ceiling than what we have on our vehicles today, it also makes the platform much better to serve in building our model.”
LiDAR Integration for R2
Rivian confirmed it plans to integrate LiDAR into future R2 models, marking a significant departure from Tesla’s camera-only approach to autonomous driving.
The company said LiDAR will augment its multi-modal sensor strategy by providing detailed three-dimensional spatial data and redundant sensing, improving real-time detection for edge cases in driving scenarios.
Gen 3 autonomy hardware including ACM3 and LiDAR is currently undergoing validation, with shipments on R2 models expected to begin at the end of 2026.
Path to Level 4 Autonomy
The event also introduced an evolved software architecture underpinned by artificial intelligence. Rivian‘s goal is to deliver Level 4 autonomy — fully autonomous driving without human intervention in defined conditions — representing a significant leap from current driver assistance systems.
The R2, Rivian‘s more affordable SUV, is scheduled to begin production in the first half of 2026 at the company’s Normal, Illinois facility.
