Rivian Limits Point-to-Point Driving to Invite-Only Testers Under NDA
Selected US R1 Gen 2 and R2 owners must maintain active Autonomy+ subscriptions and clean safety records to join the early access program.
Rivian has established an invitation-only "Autonomy Early Access Program" for its upcoming point-to-point driving feature, requiring selected owners to sign non-disclosure agreements before testing the technology.
What Happened
According to a new Rivian support page, the early access program is open to US owners of the R1 Gen 2 and R2 vehicles who pay for the Autonomy+ package. While any subscriber can apply via an "Autonomy Early Access" tile in their account, Rivian states that invitations will be extended only to those with active paid subscriptions, heavy usage of Autonomy features, and a clean recent safety record. The company plans to balance selections by region and model, starting in select states.
Gen 1 R1 owners and Canadian customers are excluded from this initial phase. Rivian notes that it will recheck eligibility every 30 days, and membership can be revoked if an owner cancels their subscription, sells the vehicle, or fails a safety check. Participants are required to use preview features weekly, log issues, complete monthly surveys, and enable data collection, including location and camera sharing. In exchange, testers receive early over-the-air access to new features and a newsletter, but Rivian confirms they will not be paid.
Why It Matters
This limited rollout marks a strategic shift in how Rivian deploys advanced driver assistance, mirroring the early beta phases of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving program. The move highlights the gap between current capabilities and the company’s long-term autonomy goals. While Rivian’s Universal Hands-Free feature, rolled out in December 2025, allows hands-free driving on painted roads, it does not handle traffic lights or stop signs. Point-to-point driving is designed to manage the entire trip.
The timing of this launch also reflects a revision of previous timelines. During the Q2 earnings call in July, CEO RJ Scaringe described the first version of point-to-point as "Level 2++" and indicated that hands-off, eyes-off driving would arrive in 2027, with Level 4 capability targeted for 2028. This is a slip from January 2025, when Scaringe had suggested an "eyes-free" system would launch in 2026. With only about 11 weeks remaining in 2026, the "late 2026" launch date for this invite-only beta suggests a soft start, with broad expansion not expected until 2027.
The Bottom Line
Rivian is proceeding cautiously with point-to-point autonomy, restricting access to a vetted group of paying US customers who agree to strict participation requirements and NDAs. The company aims to launch the feature for this small cohort in late 2026, with wider availability and more advanced autonomy features planned for 2027 and beyond.
