Sorry, Early Rivian R2 Buyers: No Lidar Retrofit For You

• Rivian R2 launch is just months away.
• The automaker has confirmed that while R2 will eventually get lidar, its earliest units will launch without the hardware.
• Now, Rivian tells InsideEVs that a retrofitting path is not planned after the hardware becomes available.

Rivian’s AI and Autonomy Day event revealed a lot about where the company is going. From a lidar-first approach towards autonomy to a phased rollout of the R2’s new and improved hardware, it was a clarifying moment that showed how the brand plans to bring its Tesla Model Y-fighter to light.

There’s just one thing that tripped a few folks up: the R2 won’t receive its groundbreaking lidar hardware until months after it launches. And Rivian does not plan to offer a lidar upgrade path for early adopters, InsideEVs has learned.

This means no retrofitting the hardware later on when it actually becomes available, and that the price of getting Rivian’s latest SUV at launch means that it will forever rely on a camera-and-radar-based system.

“At this time, we do not plan to retrofit later R2 vehicles,” a Rivian spokesperson told InsideEVs when asked if a retrofit would be possible for early R2 adopters once the lidar hardware is launched in late 2026.

This isn’t shocking, but it is clarifying. The R2 was never promised to come with lidar—in fact, it was a surprise announcement at Rivian’s AI day that the SUV would be equipped with it in late 2026. What’s new is the confirmation that Rivian has no plans to retrofit these early vehicles once lidar becomes available.

Rivian also confirmed to InsideEVs that R2 will launch with “an elevated version of the Gen 2 architecture.” The automaker was clear that lidar is part of its Gen 3 autonomy architecture implementation—likely made possible by the powerful Rivian Autonomy Processor (RAP1) specifically built in-house for its Gen 3 compute hardware.

And while early Gen 2-equipped R2s won’t have a path to lidar, Rivian says that the models will be equipped with the brand’s improved 65-megapixel HDR camera system and enhanced dual-mode corner radar. That should be enough for hands-free driving, but could plateau there versus lidar-equipped cars receiving Level 4 or eyes-off features.

The automaker defended its decision by stressing that the R2’s rollout is fully intentional. By launching it without lidar, Rivian remains steadfast towards its goal of a $45,000 starting price for the R2. And even sans lidar, Rivian expects the R2’s hardware to be more advanced than what it offers in its Gen 2 R1 vehicles today:

“R2 will launch with compute power and sensors that will be upgraded over today’s very advanced Gen 2 R1, at a much more affordable price point. This makes it what we expect to be one of the most advanced vehicles in its category,” the spokesperson said. “Our initial launch uses advanced cameras and radar to deliver a competitive price and core safety features for a significantly larger addressable market.”

That being said, it’s not immediately clear if Rivian will offer lidar on base trims of the R2 when it becomes available in late 2026, either. When asked if lidar would be standard, Rivian said that it would share more information on trims and vehicle options in 2026, so it’s possible that lesser trims of the R2 produced in late 2026 may not receive the hardware either.

The good news is that if autonomy isn’t at the top of your list of wants in a new car, you won’t be at risk of FOMO when the R2 hits the market. Plenty of folks were interested in the R2 before they even knew lidar would be an option, anyway.

But for those who are prioritizing future-proofing and want the latest and greatest tech, it might mean Rivian sees a bit of a demand lull at launch while folks wait until lidar becomes available before buying.