Keep pulling the thread on RJ Scaringe.
RJ Scaringe predicts that within the next five years, "hands-free, eyes-off" autonomous driving features will become an expected standard in new vehicles.
The approach to autonomous vehicle systems has shifted from a rules-based planner to an end-to-end AI approach using transformers and large foundation models trained on fleet data.
Rivian's Gen 2 vehicles collect training data for their autonomous driving model by running the model in "shadow mode" and flagging instances where the human driver's actions differ from the model's predictions.
Amazon first invested in Rivian in 2019, which was a significant turning point for the company's probability of success.
Amazon invested approximately $2 billion in Rivian prior to its IPO, participating in multiple funding rounds.
Amazon's first investment in Rivian was part of a $700 million funding round.
Rivian has a commercial agreement to build electric delivery vans for Amazon.
In its first and second years of production, Rivian ranked number one in the Consumer Reports annual brand survey for customer satisfaction, appeal, and likelihood of repurchase.
Rivian anticipates achieving positive gross margin in late Q4 2024 or early Q1 2025.
Rivian's Gen 2 vehicle architecture reduces the number of computer controllers from 17 in Gen 1 to three.
Rivian is training a multi-billion parameter foundation model to govern its autonomous driving system, using data from its fleet's cameras and radars.
Rivian's upcoming R2 vehicle will be a five-passenger SUV with a starting price of $45,000.