By Abhirup Roy and Arsheeya Bajwa
(Reuters) -Electric-vehicle maker Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) plans to launch its advanced hands-free driver assistance systems in 2025 and its "eyes-off" systems in 2026, CEO RJ Scaringe said on Thursday.
An advanced driver assistance system that enables drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road will add an "enormous amount of value to customers," Scaringe said.
Automakers have been competing in recent years to introduce more autonomous driving features such as lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control into their vehicles.
Advancing driver assistance technology will give buyers their "time back," Scaringe said, allowing them to get on their phones, read books or send emails while at the wheel.
Developing such capabilities in systems is "something we're hyper focused on," Scaringe said.
Rivian's Gen 2 vehicles are currently equipped with the "Rivian Autonomy Platform," which assists drivers but still requires their continuous attention and control of the vehicle, similar to features offered by some other automakers.
Scaringe's announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of advanced driver assistance systems, as leading EV makers such as Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) pivot toward self-driving technology and robotaxis.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this month opened a probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles following reports of accidents involving a feature that allows users to remotely operate their cars.
TRUMP IMPACT
The company also does not see substantial risk to its loan for a Georgia plant from U.S. President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at the EV industry.
Earlier in January, Rivian and the U.S. Department of Energy finalized a loan agreement for up to $6.6 billion to help build the EV maker's production facility in Georgia.
Trump on Monday revoked a 2021 executive order issued by his predecessor Joe Biden, which aimed to ensure that, by 2030, half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. would be electric.
In addition, Trump also called for ending a waiver that allows states to adopt zero-emission vehicle rules by 2035 and said his administration would consider ending EV tax credits.
Trump's threat to impose duties of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada has also cast a shadow over automakers and their suppliers.
Automakers' supply chains in Mexico, which have seen hundreds of billions of dollars in investment over decades, will need to be re-mapped or would carry higher costs, Scaringe added, saying that the impact "could be really damaging."
"So we're watching that really closely."
(Reporting Abhirup Roy in San Francisco and by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi and Alan Barona)