Rivian Automotive (RIVN) Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference 2026 summary

Product launches and demand

• R2, a two-row SUV at a lower price point, has launched to strong media and customer feedback, indicating strong product-market fit.

• Conversion rates from pre-orders to purchases for R2 are exceeding expectations, with new trims driving additional interest.

• Production ramp is ongoing, with a second shift planned for the third quarter to meet demand.

Technology and autonomy development

• Supervised point-to-point driving is on track for release by year-end, with eyes-off autonomy targeted for 2027.

• Progress is strong, with validation and real-world testing underway; main technical challenge is achieving human-like driving behavior.

• Sufficient AI compute resources are secured for the next 6-9 months through AWS.

• Autonomy+ adoption is trending above expectations, with features seen as highly valued and sticky by customers.

Custom silicon and hardware innovation

• Custom RAP1 silicon was developed for performance, cost, and rapid iteration, enabling tailored autonomy solutions.

• Gen 3 hardware stack is on track for late 2026, with rigorous validation nearly complete and performance targets met.

• Gen 3 hardware will offer lower costs at entry-level and higher performance at a similar or slightly higher cost.