Elon vs Rivian: Cameras, LiDAR, and $200 Sensor Showdowns
In the tech-world soap opera of self-driving cars, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe dropped a bomb on the camera-only cult led by Tesla’s Elon Musk. On The Verge's Decoder podcast aired Monday, Scaringe revealed LiDAR sensors now cost a mere few hundred dollars—a bargain compared to ‘tens of thousands’ in previous seasons. He praised LiDAR for doing things cameras can't, which is kinda important when Tesla’s 2019 Autonomy Day chief called it ‘friggin stupid.’ Meanwhile, Musk blames ‘sensor contention’ for Waymo's highway no-go zone on August 25. Adding fuel, Ford’s Jim Farley (June, Aspen Ideas Festival) called LiDAR ‘mission critical,’ especially when the sun acts like a villainous glare in camera lenses. If you’re confused, welcome to modern tech: same fight, new pricing drama.
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Rivian says LiDAR costs less than your artisan coffee now, but Elon Musk insists if you use anything besides cameras, you're just causing 'sensor contention.' Apparently, automakers aren’t just bad drivers—now they’re bad at agreeing on gadgets too.
Elon Musk’s vision-only dream: because nothing says safety like ignoring a sensor capable of seeing what cameras can’t. Rivian just wants the whole sensor buffet and a side of clarity, thanks.
Between Tesla’s camera zealots and Rivian’s multi-sensor party, self-driving tech feels like a family argument—'Dad says GPS is fake news, but we bought the map app anyway.'
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/7/2025 | Author: Kwan Wei Kevin Tan
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