Rivian’s Cheapest Model Yet Could Feature LiDAR, Teaser Images Suggest

Rivian could be on the verge of launching its new cost-effective R2 SUV with LiDAR technology, if recent teaser images from company CEO RJ Scaringe are to be believed. Eagle-eyed users on social media recently spotted that images of the first pre-production validation build examples of the compact R2 SUV featured a cut-out section in the main crossbeam above the windshield. However, the R1S SUV doesn’t have the tech, and that could be telling.

As this is traditionally the spot where a LiDAR roof pod is mounted, as featured most prominently on Volvo’s all-electric EX90 (though that may cause some problems for your smartphone…), this has led to increased speculation that the entry-level R2, ironically, could be the first model on Rivian’s line-up to feature the Light Detection and Ranging system. Indeed, this is now one of two instances where a missing section of the R2’s crossbeam has appeared in a teaser image, so it’s a fair question to ask.

Why LiDAR Could, And Could Not, Be Possible

The other occasion was Rivian’s recent tease of the SUV in outdoor-themed, full-color camouflage wraps. Tellingly, in the same teaser video, and though no confirmation was made one way or the other, Rivian’s senior director of exterior design, Jonathan Szczupak, explained that, while the overall design was signed off on, some elements could yet receive some minor changes.

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This argument does come with a few drawbacks, however. For starters, official renders of the Rivian R2 were revealed more than a year ago, none of which featured LiDAR. Plus, and unlike Tesla’s camera-based system, the far more complex – and expensive – LiDAR system uses pulse lasers, which ‘bounce’ off upcoming obstructions to create a far clearer map of the road ahead.

The Case For Rivian Doing LiDAR Holds No Water Here

Based as it is on the new Nvidia Drive AD platform, and thus capable of far greater computing power than either of its sister models, LiDAR nevertheless adds layers of complexity Rivian may be unwilling to commit to for its (hopefully) cost-effective model.

One wonders how this addition would also affect plans for the R2 to be launched with a $45,000 price tag, thus making the compact SUV a more affordable alternative to the likes of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and/or Hyundai’s Ioniq 5.

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Were the R2 to debut later this year with LiDAR (though hinted at, this feature was included on neither the second-generation version of the R1S SUV nor the R1T Truck), this could prove yet another coup for Rivian in recent months. Though unlikely that LiDAR, a key part of Level 3 autonomous systems, will feature anywhere in the lineup any time soon, Rivian will be making progress in the semi-autonomous driving sphere soon, albeit at Level 2.