TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s strategy for staying afloat goes beyond just making vehicles

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Inside Rivian’s Autonomy & AI Day

Senior reporter Sean O’Kane recently visited Palo Alto to attend Rivian’s Autonomy & AI Day. While some insiders touted this as a pivotal moment for the company, Sean’s on-the-ground perspective offers a more nuanced take.

Here’s a summary of the event, with Sean’s observations and a few of my own:

Rivian’s showcase was filled with industry jargon, but the core message was clear: the company is aiming to be more than just a car manufacturer.

Unlike Tesla, Rivian isn’t introducing humanoid robots to its campus. However, it is expanding its portfolio with new revenue streams, starting with advanced driver-assistance technologies.

Their hands-free driver-assistance system, currently available on approximately 135,000 miles of roadway, will soon cover 3.5 million miles, including city streets. This enhanced feature, launching in early 2026, will offer point-to-point hands-free (but eyes-on) driving for a one-time fee of $2,500 or a monthly subscription of $49.99.

Looking further ahead, Rivian is developing a fully hands-off, eyes-off system. The company has engineered a custom 5nm processor in partnership with Arm and TSMC, which will serve as the core of its next-generation autonomy computer. This technology is set to debut in the R2 SUV in late 2026, with pricing details yet to be announced.

Another possibility on the horizon: Rivian may license its technology to other companies.

Rivian already collaborates with Volkswagen Group on electrical architecture and foundational software, and has spun out two startups this year—Also (mobility) and Mind Robotics (industrial AI and robotics).

Barclays analyst Dan Levy recently noted optimism about Rivian potentially licensing its entire autonomous vehicle platform or select components, such as its custom processor. When asked whether Mind Robotics might use the processor, CEO RJ Scaringe hinted that it’s a likely scenario.

Expanding revenue streams that complement Rivian’s core automotive business is a logical move—after all, who wouldn’t want to boost their bottom line?

Event Highlights

• Rivian is developing an in-house AI assistant, expected to roll out to its electric vehicles in early 2026.
• The company is investing heavily in autonomy, with custom silicon, lidar, and hints at future robotaxi services.

Industry Whispers

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

No major scoops to share this week—thanks for all your tips, but nothing is ready for publication just yet.

Here’s a small behind-the-scenes note: At Rivian’s AI & Autonomy Day, there was some nervousness about the public demonstration of their AI assistant, as pre-event testing was a bit rocky. Fortunately, the demo went smoothly after a brief hiccup at the start. Public demos are always risky, so credit to Rivian for taking the plunge.

Deal Highlights

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

At the start of 2025, it seemed unlikely we’d see a story connecting aviation startups with data centers—but here we are.

Boom Supersonic began the year by breaking the sound barrier with its XB-1 demonstrator and is closing out the year by planning to sell a stationary version of its turbine engine. The first buyer? Data center startup Crusoe.

Crusoe has agreed to purchase 29 of Boom’s 42-megawatt turbines for $1.25 billion, generating a total of 1.21 gigawatts for its facilities.

Boom has secured $300 million in new funding to commercialize this venture, with Darsana Capital Partners leading the round and participation from Altimeter Capital, Ark Invest, Bessemer Venture Partners, Robinhood Ventures, and Y Combinator.

The revenue from these stationary turbines will help fund Boom’s ongoing development of supersonic aircraft.

Other Noteworthy Deals

• Aurora Innovation has signed a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics to autonomously haul frac sand in the Permian Basin.
• Not all partnerships last: Ford and SK On are ending their joint venture to build battery factories. Ford will take over the Kentucky plants, while SK On will manage the Tennessee facility.
• Vatn Systems, a Rhode Island startup specializing in autonomous underwater vehicles, raised $60 million in a Series A round led by BVVC.

Industry News and Insights

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

• 700Credit reported a data breach impacting at least 5.6 million individuals, exposing names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers.
• The former CEO of bankrupt EV startup Canoo had promised support to NASA and the USPS to keep their vans in use, but both agencies have since discontinued them.
• Ford and Renault are teaming up to launch two affordable Ford-branded vehicles in Europe by 2028, with Ford handling design and Renault assembling the cars in northern France.
• Lucid faces a lawsuit from ex-chief engineer Eric Bach, who alleges wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation, including claims of offensive remarks from a senior HR executive.
• Subaru introduced the Uncharted EV, offering a 300-mile range and a starting price just over $36,000. However, the Premium trim is front-wheel drive only, which may disappoint some Subaru enthusiasts.
• A woman in San Francisco gave birth in a Waymo robotaxi en route to UCSF Medical Center—remarkably, not the first time this has happened in a Waymo vehicle.
• According to a leaked letter from Tiger Global Management, Waymo is now providing 450,000 robotaxi rides per week, nearly double its spring numbers. Waymo declined to comment.
• Zevo is planning to add robotaxis to its car-sharing fleet, starting with the new Tensor model. Senior reporter Sean O’Kane has more details.

Community Poll Results

Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent poll! We asked: With the rapid pace of autonomous vehicle development and growing concerns about safety and accountability, should companies maintain their current trajectory, accelerate, or slow down?

• 48% of respondents support staying the course
• 23% favor scaling up more quickly
• 29.4% believe companies should proceed with more caution