Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe spent nearly half of the company's earnings call on its self-driving plans, according to the report, which describes the autonomy push as a gamble. The company plans to roll out its point-to-point hands-free driving feature first to its own employees for testing in 2026, then to customers in 2027. It plans to launch robotaxis with Uber in 2028.
The report says Rivian is designing its own silicon chips, buying lidar sensors and paying for AI computing power. It calls this a large financial bet while the mass-market R2 SUV is still scaling up. The R2 has become Rivian's best-selling vehicle by volume, the report says.
Derek Mulvey, Rivian's VP of finance, said on the call: "We believe autonomy is a primary product differentiator, market share driver, and long-term value creator."
Scaringe said he uses the new point-to-point system for his daily commute and called it "a wonderful" experience. He did not disclose the take rate for Autonomy Plus, Rivian's driver-assist package. He said the take rate "has exceeded our expectations."
The report cites Rivian's third-quarter 2026 figures: $605 million in software and subscription revenue, up 45 percent year over year, and $256 million in profit from software and services, with a 42 percent margin. The report says Tesla reported that over 75 percent of new North American buyers opted into its Full Self-Driving package in the same quarter.
Rivian warned on the call that chip, memory and electronics costs are rising. It said adding two processors and lidar to some R2 models could reduce profits from high-volume production.
The report notes that the feature faces edge cases and urban driving challenges, and that a crash could harm Rivian's reputation and invite legal claims.