Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says autonomous driving technology could enable the company to develop vehicle designs that differ substantially from its current SUVs and pickup trucks. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, he described self-driving capabilities as an opportunity to rethink how privately owned vehicles are designed and used.
Scaringe said the potential extends beyond Rivian’s upcoming R2 and R3 models, suggesting that future vehicles could be built around different passenger experiences once autonomous driving becomes more capable.
“Where it gets really interesting is when you think beyond R2 and R3 and start to imagine the form factors that you want to build for a personally owned autonomous vehicle. You know, it opens up all kinds of design opportunities. It can create dramatically different experiences,” he said in an interview with TechCrunch.
He also expressed optimism about the longer-term impact of the technology on transportation.
“I’m wildly excited about what the next 10 years look like in transportation because of what this enables us to dream and think about.”
Autonomous Driving Could Influence Future Vehicle Design
The idea that autonomous driving and electric powertrains could change vehicle design has circulated in the automotive industry for more than a decade. Automakers previously presented concepts featuring cabin-like interiors, pod-shaped vehicles and designs intended to accommodate passengers who would not need to drive.
Many of those concepts remained at the demonstration stage as the development of autonomous systems took longer than anticipated and manufacturers faced the challenges of bringing unfamiliar vehicle types into production.
Scaringe’s comments come as robotaxi services operate in several cities worldwide. However, autonomous driving remains subject to technical, regulatory and operational constraints, particularly in complex urban environments involving pedestrians, cyclists, conventional vehicles and emergency services.
Electric powertrains also give designers greater flexibility in some areas because motors and batteries can be packaged differently from conventional engines and transmissions. Whether that flexibility produces commercially viable new vehicle categories will depend on engineering requirements, production costs and customer demand.
Rivian Balances Autonomy Development With R2 Production
Rivian still has substantial work ahead before it can deploy fully driverless vehicles at scale. The company is working to increase production of its R2 SUV, a key model in its efforts to expand beyond its existing premium electric vehicle lineup and improve its financial performance.
At the same time, Rivian has been developing its autonomous driving software after previously revising its approach to self-driving technology.
The company currently offers a driver-assistance system that allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel in supported conditions while remaining responsible for monitoring the road.
Rivian has said it aims to introduce point-to-point navigation capabilities by the end of 2026. The planned feature is intended to handle a journey from its starting point to its destination without driver intervention, while still requiring the driver to supervise the system.
Full autonomy remains a longer-term objective. Rivian has also outlined plans for autonomous R2 vehicles to be used in robotaxi services available through Uber’s ride-hailing platform.
Personally Owned Vehicles Remain Central to Rivian’s Strategy
Scaringe expects privately owned vehicles to account for most driving even as autonomous services expand. He cited the share of US driving that takes place in personally owned vehicles as a reason to focus on autonomous technology for retail customers rather than only on commercial robotaxis.
“You know, 95% of the miles driven in the United States — so this is trillions of miles — 95% of these miles are in things that we personally own, so like you own it, or your household owns it. And so our view is it’s unlikely, even with Level 4 capabilities, that we’re going to see a dramatic societal shift away from that,” he said.
Level 4 automation, under the Society of Automotive Engineers’ classification, refers to systems capable of performing the driving task without human intervention within defined operating conditions. The technology does not necessarily support autonomous operation in every location or situation.
Scaringe said the proportion of miles travelled in personally owned vehicles could decline, but he expects private ownership to remain a major part of transportation.
“That figure may go from 95% to 90%, it may go from 95% to 80%, but still the vast majority of the miles driven for a lot of societal and psychological reasons are likely to stay the same,” he said.
Rivian Has Not Revealed Its R4 Design
Scaringe linked the potential for new vehicle layouts to Rivian’s future model development, but did not disclose details about the company’s next vehicle after the R3.
“So we did R1, then we did R2, then we did R3. The thing after R3 is going to be called R4 — we just haven’t shown what it looks like,” he said. “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be great.”
Rivian has not announced the R4’s design, technical specifications or launch schedule. Any changes to its vehicle architecture based on autonomous driving will depend on the progress of its software, the capabilities of its hardware and the commercial requirements of future models.