On the grounds of the historic Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles on Monday night, Rivian, a US-based electric vehicle startup, unveiled its first vehicle to a small, quaint crowd. Food was served, and calming music befitting a Four Seasons Hotel serenaded members of the press and the event’s guests, which included social media influencers and even a number of celebrities from Hollywood. Amidst the chill vibe, though, a sense of excitement permeated the air, thanks to the centerpiece of the night’s event — a futuristic, rugged, vehicle that has the potential to disrupt the US’ highly lucrative pickup truck market.
The Rivian R1T, with its large off-road wheels, imposing stance, and adventure-themed design flourishes almost stood as a stark contrast to the unveiling’s quaint atmosphere. Quite unlike Tesla, whose unveiling events feature large numbers of people and a modern, high-energy setting, Rivian’s unveiling event for its R1T pickup truck was composed and almost restrained. The enthusiasm in the air, though, was palpable.
The R1T could be described as a luxury adventure vehicle. The pickup truck is designed from the ground up to be at home both on the pavement and off the beaten path, but the vehicle maintains an air of sophistication nonetheless. While Rivian did not allow test drives during the event, the truck on display was very well put together. It was evident that a lot of thought went into the vehicle’s interior design, from its luxurious seats, its all digital instrument panel, and its unique floormats which were made from a lightweight, thin material that almost seemed like carbon fiber.
-
- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe presents the R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- The Rivian R1T’s interior is plush with technology. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- The Rivian R1T features a functional bed with a number of clever features. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- The luxury aspect of the Rivian R1T is reflected in the vehicle’s seats, which are made of premium materials. [Credit: Teslarati]
Rivian unveils its R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
Speaking before an audience comprised mainly of Rivian employees, select media and even some A-list celebs, CEO RJ Scaringe presented the R1T’s key features and capabilities. Rivian confirmed that they are using 2170 battery cells for the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV, which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday. The company noted that it would not be producing its own batteries at this stage of its operations, though their long-term strategy also includes the possibility of establishing a dedicated battery manufacturing facility like Tesla’s Gigafactory 1. Rivian aims to be a battery manufacturer like Tesla eventually, and it aims to license and sell its cells to other manufacturers in the future.
There’s no question that the vehicle’s target demographic are buyers who love luxury and the outdoors. As such, we were impressed by some of the pickup truck’s features that are aimed at making the ownership experience effortless. Among these were its automatic liftgate, and a thin, black lining that automatically protects cargo on the bed with the press of a button. We also found some of the R1T’s quirks — such as headlights that double as a green progress bar when the vehicle is charging — clever and fun. Finally, we liked the vehicle’s storage options, from its “gear tunnel” to its 11.7 cubic foot (330 liter) frunk, which is larger than those found in other premium electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model X.
Rivian noted that it intends to develop self-driving capabilities for the R1T. As such, the truck is equipped with the hardware necessary to make this a reality. These include a suite of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, high-precision GPS technologies, and even a LiDAR. In the future, the company notes that the vehicle should be able to meet its driver at the end of a hiking trail or river run. The company did not provide details as to how it intends to accomplish this, though considering its focus on the outdoors, there is a good possibility that Rivian could be mapping popular trails across the country.
-
- The Rivian R1T has a distinct front fascia. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- Rivian’s “skateboard” for the R1T, which holds the pickup truck’s 2170 battery modules. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- The Rivian R1T all-electric pickup truck has a seating capacity of 5. [Credit: Teslarati]
-
- The Rivian R1T’s “gear tunnel,” which is specifically designed to store items like fishing roads and golf clubs. [Credit: Teslarati]
Rivian unveils its R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
After operating in stealth for the most part of the past decade, Rivian has decided to come out with a bang, renting out one of the most historic landmarks in LA to unveil a vehicle that could very well be equally historic if produced and ramped successfully. The R1T starts at $69,000 for its base trim, which is equipped with four electric motors and a 230+ mile range from its 105 kWh battery. The all-electric truck is still pricier than mainstays of the US’ pickup truck market such as the Ford F-150, which starts at a more affordable $29,650. That said, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe made it clear that the company is going for a very specific niche with its first two vehicles — those that love the outdoors, and those that love luxury. For this niche of buyers, the Rivian R1T might just be the perfect vehicle.
Production of the Rivian R1T is expected to begin in 2020 in the company’s factory in Normal, Il, which it acquired from Mitsubishi in January 2017 for $16 million. The company plans to manufacture the pickup truck’s higher-end variants first, followed by the R1T’s $69,000 version within 12 months from the start of production. Rivian has also started accepting pre-orders for the R1T, with interested buyers being required to place a refundable deposit of $1,000 for the vehicle.
With assistance from Christian Prenzler.
News
Tesla hints toward Premium Robotaxi offering with Model S testing
Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”
Tesla Model S vehicles were spotted performing validation testing with LiDAR rigs in California today, a pretty big switch-up compared to what we are used to seeing on the roads.
Tesla utilizes the Model Y crossover for its Robotaxi fleet. It is adequately sized, the most popular vehicle in its lineup, and is suitable for a wide variety of applications. It provides enough luxury for a single rider, but enough room for several passengers, if needed.
However, the testing has seemingly expanded to one of Tesla’s premium flagship offerings, as the Model S was spotted with the validation equipment that is seen entirely with Model Y vehicles. We have written several articles on Robotaxi testing mules being spotted across the United States, but this is a first:
🚨 Tesla is using Model S vehicles fitted with LiDAR rigs to validate FSD and Robotaxi, differing from the Model Ys that it uses typically
Those Model Y vehicles have been on the East Coast for some time. These Model S cars were spotted in California https://t.co/CN9Bw5Wma8 pic.twitter.com/UE55hx5mdd
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 11, 2025
Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”
It seems to hint that Tesla could add a premium, more luxury offering to its Robotaxi platform eventually. Think about it: Uber has Uber Black, Lyft has Lyft Black. These vehicles and services are associated with a more premium cost as they combine luxury models with more catered transportation options.
Tesla could be testing the waters here, and it could be thinking of adding the Model S to its fleet of ride-hailing vehicles.
Reluctant to remove the Model S from its production plans completely despite its low volume contributions to the overall mission of transitioning the world to sustainable energy, the flagship sedan has always meant something. CEO Elon Musk referred to it, along with its sibling Model X, as continuing on production lines due to “sentimental reasons.”
However, its purpose might have been expanded to justify keeping it around, and why not? It is a cozy, premium offering, and it would be great for those who want a little more luxury and are willing to pay a few extra dollars.
Of course, none of this is even close to confirmed. However, it is reasonable to speculate that the Model S could be a potential addition to the Robotaxi fleet. It’s capable of all the same things the Model Y is, but with more luxuriousness, and it could be the perfect addition to the futuristic fleet.
News
Rivian unveils self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla
Rivian, a mainstay in the world of electric vehicle startups, said it plans to roll out an Autonomy+ subscription and one-time purchase program, priced at $49.99 per month and $2,500 up front, respectively, for access to its self-driving suite.
Rivian unveiled its self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla and others at its AI and Autonomy Day on Thursday in Palo Alto, California.
Rivian, a mainstay in the world of electric vehicle startups, said it plans to roll out an Autonomy+ subscription and one-time purchase program, priced at $49.99 per month and $2,500 up front, respectively, for access to its self-driving suite.
CEO RJ Scaringe said it will learn and become more confident and robust as more miles are driven and it gathers more data. This is what Tesla uses through a neural network, as it uses deep learning to improve with every mile traveled.
He said:
“I couldn’t be more excited for the work our teams are driving in autonomy and AI. 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. This represents an inflection point for the ownership experience – ultimately being able to give customers their time back when in the car.”
At first, Rivian plans to offer the service to personally-owned vehicles, and not operate as a ride-hailing service. However, ride-sharing is in the plans for the future, he said:
“While our initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, which today represent a vast majority of the miles to the United States, this also enables us to pursue opportunities in the rideshare space.”
The Hardware
Rivian is not using a vision-only approach as Tesla does, and instead will rely on 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and a single LiDAR that will face forward.
It is also developing a chip in-house, which will be manufactured by TSMC, a supplier of Tesla’s as well. The chip will be known as RAP1 and will be about 50 times as powerful as the chip that is currently in Rivian vehicles. It will also do more than 800 trillion calculations every second.
Meet the Rivian Autonomy Processor.
Fast, smart, scalable and purpose-built for autonomous driving and the world of physical AI. Hitting the open road in 2026. pic.twitter.com/0wYXi5WKy7
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 11, 2025
RAP1 powers the Autonomy Compute Module 3, known as ACM3, which is Rivian’s third-generation autonomy computer.
ACM3 specs include:
- 1600 sparse INT8 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second).
- The processing power of 5 billion pixels per second.
- RAP1 features RivLink, a low-latency interconnect technology allowing chips to be connected to multiply processing power, making it inherently extensible.
- RAP1 is enabled by an in-house developed AI compiler and platform software
As far as LiDAR, Rivian plans to use it in forthcoming R2 cars to enable SAE Level 4 automated driving, which would allow people to sit in the back and, according to the agency’s ratings, “will not require you to take over driving.”
More Details
Rivian said it will also roll out advancements to the second-generation R1 vehicles in the near term with the addition of UHF, or Universal Hands-Free, which will be available on over 3.5 million miles of roadway in the U.S. and Canada.
More than any other feature, our owners have asked for more hands-free miles.
With Universal Hands-Free, you can now enjoy hands-free assisted driving on any road with clearly defined lanes. That’s roughly 3.5 million miles in the U.S. and Canada.
Look for it in our next… pic.twitter.com/ZFhwVzvt6b
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 11, 2025
Rivian will now join the competitive ranks with Tesla, Waymo, Zoox, and others, who are all in the race for autonomy.
News
Tesla partners with Lemonade for new insurance program
Tesla recently was offered “almost free” coverage for Full Self-Driving by Lemonade’s Shai Wininger, President and Co-founder, who said it would be “happy to explore insuring Tesla FSD miles for (almost) free.”
Tesla owners in California, Oregon, and Arizona can now use Lemonade Insurance, the firm that recently said it could cover Full Self-Driving miles for “almost free.”
Lemonade, which offered the new service through its app, has three distinct advantages, it says:
- Direct Connection for no telematics device needed
- Better customer service
- Smarter pricing
The company is known for offering unique, fee-based insurance rates through AI, and instead of keeping unclaimed premiums, it offers coverage through a flat free upfront. The leftover funds are donated to charities by its policyholders.
On Thursday, it announced that cars in three states would be able to be connected directly to the car through its smartphone app, enabling easier access to insurance factors through telematics:
Lemonade customers who own @Tesla vehicles in California, Oregon, and Arizona can now connect their cars directly to the Lemonade app! ⚡🚘
Direct connection = no telematics device needed 📵
Better customer experience 💃
Smarter pricing with Lemonade 🧠This is a game-changer… pic.twitter.com/jbabxZWT4t
— Lemonade (@Lemonade_Inc) December 11, 2025
Tesla recently was offered “almost free” coverage for Full Self-Driving by Lemonade’s Shai Wininger, President and Co-founder, who said it would be “happy to explore insuring Tesla FSD miles for (almost) free.”
The strategy would be one of the most unique, as it would provide Tesla drivers with stable, accurate, and consistent insurance rates, while also incentivizing owners to utilize Full Self-Driving for their travel miles.
Tesla Full Self-Driving gets an offer to be insured for ‘almost free’
This would make FSD more cost-effective for owners and contribute to the company’s data collection efforts.
Data also backs Tesla Full Self-Driving’s advantages as a safety net for drivers. Recent figures indicate it was nine times less likely to be in an accident compared to the national average, registering an accident every 6.36 million miles. The NHTSA says a crash occurs approximately every 702,000 miles.
Tesla also offers its own in-house insurance program, which is currently offered in twelve states so far. The company is attempting to enter more areas of the U.S., with recent filings indicating the company wants to enter Florida and offer insurance to drivers in that state.
Tesla hints toward Premium Robotaxi offering with Model S testing
Rivian unveils self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla
