Rivian Begins Invite-Only Rollout Of Its New Self-Driving Tech

Early Rivian Point to Point access targets Gen 2 R1 and R2 owners in two states, with strict eligibility, data sharing, and usage rules.

2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 19, at 3:53am ET

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Rivian is taking the beta-tester route to self-driving, and it is starting small. The company opened its Autonomy Early Access Program in October, inviting a limited number of owners to try Point to Point, a supervised feature that lets the vehicle handle turns, highway merges, and surface streets along a planned route.

Any Gen 2 R1 or R2 owner with an active paid Autonomy+ subscription can apply to the program, and there is no pay for taking part. James Philbin, Rivian's senior vice president of Autonomy and AI, said the company was tracking toward a year-end launch for this first public preview, ahead of a wider rollout in 2027.

Rivian Point To Point Arrives

2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review

2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review

Photo by: Rivian

Point to Point builds on Rivian's existing Universal Hands-Free system by wiring it directly into turn-by-turn navigation. Instead of just holding a lane hands-free, the vehicle follows an entire route. It manages merging and turns at street-level under driver supervision the whole way.

The system relies on a 360-degree sensor suite paired with Rivian's own Large Driving Model, the software that interprets what the cameras and sensors see and decides how the vehicle should respond. That is still Level 2 driver assistance, a system that requires the driver to stay attentive and ready to take over.

Rivian is pointing to a broader release for all Autonomy+ subscribers in 2027, after this early group has run the feature through real-world use. Gen 1 R1 trucks and Canadian owners are excluded from this initial phase entirely.

Owners who want to participate can apply through an Autonomy Early Access tile on their Rivian.com account, which lets them register interest in joining the program. Rivian notes the tile shows up only for the primary account holder, a detail that could trip up households where someone else drives the Rivian R2 day to day.

Early Access Eligibility And Test Requirements

2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review

2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review

Photo by: Rivian

Getting an invite is not just about owning the right truck in the right state. Rivian says it is weighing how often an owner already uses Autonomy features, the owner's recent safety record, including things like forward-collision warnings, and keeping a mix of regions and vehicle models in the test group.

Selected participants take on real obligations once they are approved. Rivian requires weekly use of the preview features and issue reports logged through the vehicle's own interface, plus a monthly survey covering the experience.

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Testers also agree to share location and camera data under a non-disclosure agreement, the kind of access most owners would not hand over for a feature that is still being refined. Rivian can reassess who stays in the program every 30 days and can drop participants without warning. None of this comes with compensation.

Owners who miss this first wave are not shut out for good. Rivian says interest expressed from outside California and Florida will help decide which states get Point to Point rollout details next, and owners can leave their interest on file rather than reapplying later.