If you’re holding off on an R2 until it comes with LiDAR, Rivian now says in writing that waiting won’t guarantee you get it. A new Rivian support page says no R2, R1T or R1S available to order today has the Rivian R2 LiDAR sensor or the company’s RAP1 chip. It also says Rivian hasn’t set a customer date and has no plans to retrofit existing vehicles. On the Oct. 29 earnings call, CEO RJ Scaringe still pointed to 2027.
What’s confirmed
Rivian’s LiDAR and RAP1 Availability page says R1T, R1S and R2 vehicles currently available to order “do not include LiDAR or the Rivian Autonomy Processor (RAP1),” and that “this includes R2 Performance with Launch Package.” The page went up this week and was first shared by owners on X.
The page spells out several points buyers have been asking about:
- No date yet. Rivian “has not announced specific customer availability dates for this hardware.”
- Waiting doesn’t help. “No specific order date or delivery window guarantees LiDAR or RAP1.” Buying Autonomy+, choosing a package or picking a later delivery date doesn’t guarantee it either.
- Autonomy+ is software only. It runs on the hardware your car already has and doesn’t add LiDAR or swap the processor.
- No retrofit. “There are currently no plans to retrofit LiDAR hardware to existing Rivian vehicles.”
- R1 isn’t promised. “Announcements about future R2 hardware do not establish availability for R1T or R1S.”
- LiDAR alone doesn’t mean eyes-off. Those features also need supported software and approval for specific conditions.
Rivian also says cars without LiDAR will keep getting software improvements, within the limits of their hardware.
A day later, on Rivian’s third-quarter call, an analyst asked why the LiDAR R2 is going to employees first this year. According to the call transcript and Yahoo Finance’s summary, Scaringe said the next hardware generation, with RAP1, cameras, radar and LiDAR, goes through an employee validation program late this year and will be available in 2027. He said Rivian’s Large Driving Model is coming to every R2, including Launch Edition cars, and to 2025-and-newer R1s. That will enable point-to-point driving without LiDAR. Rivian’s Autonomy and AI Day is set for Dec. 9.
What’s rumored or reported
The exact timing is still unclear, and Rivian’s messaging has shifted. At its first Autonomy and AI Day last December, Rivian said its Gen 3 platform with front-facing LiDAR would start in late 2026. EV (eletric-vehicles.com) found that executives have since given different timelines. In April, Scaringe agreed the hardware would come to R2 later this year. Investor relations chief Chip Newcom said in September that it would reach employee cars this year and customers in 2027. That outlet calls the new support page “more cautious” than recent guidance.
Owner site RivianTrackr expects Rivian to say which R2 configurations get LiDAR, and when customers can order one, at the Dec. 9 event. That’s an expectation, not something Rivian has said. On r/RivianR2, buyers are split. Some say the page makes them less inclined to wait. Others joke that Rivian must be fielding a lot of questions about over-the-air updates adding hardware.
What it means if you’re shopping for an R2
- Any R2 you can order today, including the Launch Package car, comes without LiDAR, and Rivian doesn’t plan to add it later.
- Pushing your delivery back is a gamble. Rivian says no delivery month guarantees the new hardware.
- Hands-free driving on supported roads works now on cars with Autonomy+. Rivian says point-to-point is coming to current R2s without LiDAR.
- If LiDAR is a must for you, Dec. 9 is the next date to watch.
For more on R2 timing, see our stories on whether the R2 Launch Package is ending and Forest Green R2 VINs. We’ll update this story after Rivian’s Dec. 9 event.
