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Rivian R2

Clearing Up the Confusion Around Rivian R2 and LiDAR

There’s been a lot of mixed messaging and confusion around how Rivian plans to launch R2, so I want to clearly lay out what we know today and how this rollout is actually going to work. Rivian will launch R2 in early 2026 with Gen 2 autonomy hardware. This is the same autonomy stack that’s currently shipping in today’s Gen 2 R1T and R1S. That means cameras and radar only, no LiDAR, and no next-generation Rivian silicon at launch. Early…

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Rivian R2 Ground Truth Fleet

Why Rivian’s Ground Truth Fleet Matters More Than Any Single Feature

During Rivian’s Autonomy & AI Day, James Philbin dropped one of the most important lines of the entire event, and it was easy to miss. When the Rivian R2 launches with LiDAR, every vehicle on the road becomes a ground truth vehicle. That one statement quietly explains how Rivian plans to scale autonomy far beyond a small internal test fleet. Ground truth is how autonomy systems learn what actually happened in the real world. It is the reference data that…

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Launch Mode

Rivian Confirms Launch Mode and Apple Watch Support Coming to Gen 1 Vehicles Early Next Year

Update: Also confirmed that Launch Mode will come to Gen 2 Dual Performance vehicles. Wassym just shared a quick but pretty meaningful update on Reddit, and there’s some good news for Gen 1 owners. Launch Mode is officially coming to Gen 1 Quad and Dual Performance vehicles early next year. That’s a nice performance win for owners who thought some of these newer tricks might stay locked to Gen 2. He also confirmed that messaging support will roll out through…

Read MoreRivian Confirms Launch Mode and Apple Watch Support Coming to Gen 1 Vehicles Early Next Year
Gen 2 R1T All-Terrain Package

Rivian Includes All-Terrain Package for Free on Select 2025 R1 Models in December

Rivian has a nice December perk if you’re shopping a new 2025 R1. For a limited time, the All-Terrain Package is included at no extra cost on select 2025 R1S and R1T models. That means 20″ all-terrain wheels with 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake tires, a reinforced underbody shield, and a spare tire, full size on R1T and compact on R1S. You can also upgrade to the 20″ All-Terrain Dark wheels for $1,000. Dual Motor R1 with Large or Max batteries also…

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Rivian R2-D2

Why Rivian’s R2 LiDAR Timeline Risks the Osborne Effect

With Rivian confirming that LiDAR is coming to R2 in late 2026, but also making it clear that R2 deliveries begin in early 2026 without it, there’s an interesting business dynamic worth talking about, the Osborne effect. The Osborne effect is a classic concept in tech. It happens when a company announces a future product or major upgrade too early, causing customers to delay or cancel purchases of the current version. The name comes from Osborne Computer Corporation in the…

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