Rivian Fires Back at Tesla in High-Stakes EV Race!
Rivian just revealed its powerful new self-driving chip and autonomy roadmap at AI and Autonomy Day, aiming straight for Tesla's throne in the EV world. The in-house RAP1 chip delivers a staggering 1600 sparse TOPS, paired with cameras, radar, and LiDAR for safer, smarter driving toward Level 4 autonomy. Starting with a $49.99 monthly subscription or $2,500 one-time fee, this tech promises to transform personal EVs before expanding to ride-sharing. As electric vehicles like Rivian's lead the charge against fossil fuels, advanced autonomy means optimized routes, fewer accidents, and massive cuts in emissions—accelerating our urgent shift to sustainable transport amid climate pressures.
Rivian, the electric vehicle innovator, is stepping up its game with a custom self-driving chip called RAP1. Built in-house and made by TSMC, it's 50 times more powerful than their current setup, handling over 800 trillion calculations per second. This powers the new Autonomy Compute Module 3 (ACM3), enabling dramatic leaps in self-driving tech.
Unlike Tesla's camera-only approach, Rivian uses 11 cameras, five radars, and a forward-facing LiDAR for better reliability. The goal? Level 4 autonomy, where drivers can relax without taking over, per SAE standards. It kicks off with personal vehicles via Autonomy+ subscriptions, with ride-sharing on the horizon.
Soon, second-gen R1 owners get Universal Hands-Free on millions of U.S. and Canada roads. This EV autonomy push isn't just about convenience—it's key to greener roads. Electric self-drivers optimize energy use, slash emissions versus gas guzzlers, and support the global fight against warming by making clean transport safer and smarter.