Rivian Follows Tesla And Will Use Owners To Beta Test Autonomous Driving

For years, safety advocates have criticized Tesla for using its owners as beta testers for its advanced autonomous driving features, while most car brands perform such safety-critical functions on internal fleets. Well, it seems Rivian is taking a page out of Tesla's playbook and is going to start allowing select owners to beta-test its most advanced Level 2 driver assistance system, known as Point to Point.

The invite-only Autonomous Early Access Program is available for second-generation R1 and R2 owners currently subscribed to the Autonomy+ system. Eligible owners will receive an invitation in their online account based on their safe driving history, Autonomy feature usage, vehicle model, and state of residence. Initially, the beta program will be limited to California and Florida residents. Key metrics Rivian is analyzing to determine safe driving records include past forward collision warnings and collision events. It also says it will balance testers "by region, vehicle model, and other factors so the participant group reflects the broader owner community."

When an owner is invited to the program, they must actively use the self-driving features on a weekly basis and log any issues as they occur. They will also need to participate in monthly surveys and may be required to join focus groups and one-on-one interviews. As you'd imagine, they must also enable data collection and be happy to share data from their EV's cameras, but not camera footage itself. If you're a beta tester for Rivian, there's no hiding.

To ensure selected owners continue to use the system wisely, Rivian will re-check eligibility every 30 days and can remove participants if they don't meet their obligations or drive safely enough. Rivian's Point to Point system is its answer to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and, as the name suggests, provides fully autonomous driving between addresses and has been described by the company's boss as a Level 2++ system offering hands-off and eyes-off driving. Rivian wants to roll out the technology across its customer fleet starting next year and is planning to have a Level 4 system ready in 2028.

Rivian