Rivian R2 game plan

[TheWebMedic]

I’ve gone back and forth every day, but I think I finally have a game plan. Seeing as I just got on the waiting list in May, the odds of me getting a launch edition I’m guessing is zero so there I’m waiting until 2027 so I might as well wait for LiDAR. Until then I have two options, seeing as I’m. To a used car guy.

1. Get a 2 or 3 year lease on R1T
2. Get a Tesla lease for 2-3 years to play with FSD.

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[Great Gatsby]

Depending on your needs or budget, the Model 3 leases quite well, even for 2 years, and they are doing a year free of supercharging at the moment.

Haven't seen anything too enticing on the Rivian deals but the used market has some bargains, if that is an option.

 

[ribuck97]

Yea, based on calculation, 2 year lease of a TM3P is at 67% residual and sub 2% APR for the $804/mo plus tax 24/10 lease. That coupled with a year of free charging stacked with the 2k miles free is a good deal.

Unless you need/want the "truck", dislike Tesla, or just want a Rivian... you will pay $350-550 more/mo for the 24/10 R1T lease (Dual Standard).

 

[roketdog]

I love my R1S, but I still drive TMY ‘26 30% of the time. The FSD is amazing and so much fun. As long as you get a T with hw4, it would have most of all the incremental features they’re rolling out.

 

[Rizzian]

I used to be in the camp that was "waiting for Lidar" - As I understand it now, the R2 LIDAR will be a data collection tool to help train Rivian's self driving model (for EVERY Rivian's benefit) rather than a self-driving tool that your individual car actually uses to make realtime "decisions" while navigating. Meaning, as long as someone with a Lidar equipped Rivian drives down the street in your town, that data gets saved for any Rivian with hands free autonomy to utilize while navigating autonomously (Gen2 R1's, launch edition R2's, and Gen3 hardware Rivians).

It's like using google maps- you don't have to drive a special car with a lidar and camera rig strapped to the roof to use it, but you will be relying on the accuracy of the last collected map images and data- so the DATE it was collected will matter. The upside to having the LIDAR data collection device in your own car would be that you'll be scanning your own street and routes on a regular basis, so that data should eventually be extremely accurate (depending on how frequently and quickly RIVIAN can update its model).

 

[Jeremy3292]

I used to be in the camp that was "waiting for Lidar" - As I understand it now, the R2 LIDAR will be a data collection tool to help train Rivian's self driving model (for EVERY Rivian's benefit) rather than a self-driving tool that your individual car actually uses to make realtime "decisions" while navigating. Meaning, as long as someone with a Lidar equipped Rivian drives down the street in your town, that data gets saved for any Rivian with hands free autonomy to utilize while navigating autonomously (Gen2 R1's, launch edition R2's, and Gen3 hardware Rivians).

It's like using google maps- you don't have to drive a special car with a lidar and camera rig strapped to the roof to use it, but you will be relying on the accuracy of the last collected map images and data- so the DATE it was collected will matter. The upside to having the LIDAR data collection device in your own car would be that you'll be scanning your own street and routes on a regular basis, so that data should eventually be extremely accurate (depending on how frequently and quickly RIVIAN can update its model).

I'm going back and forth myself once I realized they already upgrade the cameras in the launch units. So it's just the RAP1 chip and LIDAR that is missing. The RAP1 chip is likely the most important thing vs LIDAR as you said above. I want R2 premium, forest green, and coastal cloud interior so I'll be waiting til the end of this year at least already. So I'll have to see when my number is called but Gen3 and LIDAR may already be coming shortly at that time...

 

[DuoRivian]

I used to be in the camp that was "waiting for Lidar" - As I understand it now, the R2 LIDAR will be a data collection tool to help train Rivian's self driving model (for EVERY Rivian's benefit) rather than a self-driving tool that your individual car actually uses to make realtime "decisions" while navigating. Meaning, as long as someone with a Lidar equipped Rivian drives down the street in your town, that data gets saved for any Rivian with hands free autonomy to utilize while navigating autonomously (Gen2 R1's, launch edition R2's, and Gen3 hardware Rivians).

It's like using google maps- you don't have to drive a special car with a lidar and camera rig strapped to the roof to use it, but you will be relying on the accuracy of the last collected map images and data- so the DATE it was collected will matter. The upside to having the LIDAR data collection device in your own car would be that you'll be scanning your own street and routes on a regular basis, so that data should eventually be extremely accurate (depending on how frequently and quickly RIVIAN can update its model).

Glad others are seeing that if you are not bothered about L4 autonomy sometime in the next five years then the current R2 setup has a lot of headroom and will (on current promises) give solid hands free and eyes free L3 sometimes before end of 2027.

Infotainment etc highly unlikely to change in the next nine months either.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Glad others are seeing that if you are not bothered about L4 autonomy sometime in the next five years then the current R2 setup has a lot of headroom and will (on current promises) give solid hands free and eyes free L3 sometimes before end of 2027.

Infotainment etc highly unlikely to change in the next nine months either.

The concern for me is really the RAP1 chip and less on the LIDAR front. The memory and compute bandwidth is paramount. Can't find much info on the current chip other than it's a NVIDIA of some kind.

 

[sparked]

The concern for me is really the RAP1 chip and less on the LIDAR front. The memory and compute bandwidth is paramount. Can't find much info on the current chip other than it's a NVIDIA of some kind.

Same. Compute has mattered a lot up until now. Puts people like me who are leaning towards wanting more autonomy in a bit of a pickle as buying Gen 2 is like saying "this time is different" without any software released.

Tesla's already planning out two generations ahead for compute with AI5 and AI6. Even appear to be doing some sort of hardware 4 update.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Same. Compute has mattered a lot up until now. Puts people like me who are leaning towards wanting more autonomy in a bit of a pickle as buying Gen 2 is like saying "this time is different" without any software released.

Tesla's already planning out two generations ahead for compute with AI5 and AI6. Even appear to be doing some sort of hardware 4 update.

Tesla has about 5 different iterations of AI4 also. Good tweet from this guy below yesterday:



No way I get a LE bc I'm way down the list. So I want R2 premium, forest green, and coastal cloud interior so I'll be waiting til the end of this year at least already. So I'll have to see when my number is called but Gen3 and LIDAR may already be coming then anyways!

 

[DuoRivian]

The concern for me is really the RAP1 chip and less on the LIDAR front. The memory and compute bandwidth is paramount. Can't find much info on the current chip other than it's a NVIDIA of some kind.

I understand compute is most critical. My point is that this level of compute and sensor suite is needed for L4. Interviews with RJ puts that as late 2020s to early 2030s.
The existing chip (itself 10x of Gen1) and the updated sensor suite allows for decent L3 autonomy which will satisfy most people. I do t want some people “scared” off buying this year because they think the whole vehicle will be obsolete within 9 months, which is not the case - even for autonomy since the current gen has headspace for a while longer.

 

[EricT]

Correct that the LIDAR won't help the driver much specifically, but is more about "feeding" their Large Driving Model; the database of all available info for all drivers of all roads.

I like the idea of waiting for the RAP1 as it's a quantum leap ahead, AND it's in-house Rivian products, AND it has better resale value (if that's a concern for you; not for me).

 

[Zathras]

Where do people get the notion that LIDAR is only for gathering data? Has there been a definitive statement from Rivian on the subject? Sounds more like crowd-sourced rumors to me than hard facts.

Journalism 101 - Your mother says she loves you? Check it.

 

[EricT]

AS stated in a number of interviews with Rivian "bigwigs".

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