Rivian Autonomy Chief Calls Lidar 'No-Brainer' As Costs Plunge: EV Maker Charts Its Path To Self-Driving Cars

Rivian Automotive Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:RIVN) top autonomy executive says rapidly falling lidar costs have made the once-prohibitive sensor an obvious choice as the EV maker accelerates plans for fully autonomous vehicles.

Lidar Costs Fall, Making Laser Sensors Viable for Consumer EVs

James Philbin, Rivian's vice president of autonomy and AI, said the price of lidar has dropped dramatically over the past decade, bringing it within reach for mass-produced, personally owned vehicles, reported Business Insider.

"It's been on this incredible cost curve," Philbin said.

He added, "10 years ago, it would be just unimaginable that you could put a lidar on a consumer vehicle. And now it’s getting into that price point, kind of in the range of a radar."

Lidar uses laser light to measure distance and create detailed 3D maps of a vehicle's surroundings, improving performance in low visibility and complex driving environments.

Rivian's Autonomy Strategy Diverges From Tesla's Camera-Only Approach

Philbin said lidar strengthens Rivian's self-driving system by adding redundancy to cameras and radar, increasing safety and reliability.

"The performance it gives you for that cost is really amazing," he said. "It's kind of a no-brainer that you would want more sensors and more modalities for something that's so safety critical."

Rivian on Thursday outlined a road map toward full autonomy that includes building an in-house computing chip and adding lidar to its upcoming R2 SUV.

The R2, Rivian's most affordable vehicle with a starting price of about $45,000, is scheduled to launch in early 2026 without lidar, with a lidar-equipped version planned for later that year.

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Rivian Pushes For Level 4 Autonomy And Affordable R2 SUV

Last week, Rivian said it had moved deeper into autonomous driving by unveiling an in-house AI chip and outlining plans to reach Level 4 autonomy, while also aiming to expand affordable EV options in a U.S. market it said lacks consumer choice.

At its Autonomy and AI Day event, CEO RJ Scaringe introduced the Rivian Autonomy Processor and said the company would rely on a mix of lidar, cameras and radar for future self-driving systems, including on upcoming R2 models.

Rivian also announced its Universal Hands-Free assisted driving system and an Autonomy+ subscription expected to launch in early 2026.

Separately, Scaringe said the U.S. EV market was constrained by supply rather than demand, noting that Tesla vehicles were effectively the only viable options under $50,000.

He pointed to the R2 crossover, expected to start around $45,000, as Rivian's effort to broaden consumer choice, with deliveries targeted for the first half of next year.

Read Next:

• Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Warns Of ‘Shocking Lack Of Choice' In US EV Market, Says Only Tesla Competes Under $50K

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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