September 28, 2026

Rivian cuts hundreds of jobs days after launching the R2 SUV

rivian

Rivian has announced another round of layoffs, this time cutting hundreds of positions across its business. The layoffs come just days after beginning deliveries of its highly anticipated R2 SUV.

The electric vehicle (EV) maker confirmed Tuesday that it has reduced its workforce by less than 2%, with the cuts affecting employees in service, customer support, sales, and marketing functions. While the percentage may appear small, the reduction still impacts hundreds of workers based on Rivian’s workforce of roughly 15,200 employees at the end of 2025.

As for the reason behind the layoffs, Rivian says it is continuing its long-running effort to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency while pursuing a path toward profitability.

“We recently restructured a handful of teams within Rivian as we work to profitably scale our business,” the company said in a statement. (via WSJ)

Just one week ago, Rivian officially launched deliveries of the R2, a vehicle widely viewed as the company’s most important product to date. Starting at US$57,990, the midsize SUV is designed to move Rivian beyond the premium EV segment occupied by its R1T pickup and R1S SUV and into a larger, more mainstream market.

Rivian executives have repeatedly pointed to the R2 as a critical step toward improving the company’s financial performance. Rivian has yet to record an annual profit since its founding.

The company reported a net loss of approximately $3.6 billion last year while delivering just over 42,000 vehicles. During the first quarter of 2026, Rivian’s automotive operations lost roughly $6,000 on every vehicle delivered, highlighting the scale of the challenge it still faces.

This workforce reduction is not Rivian’s first. The automaker has conducted several rounds of layoffs since early 2024. Most recently in October 2025, the company cut more than 600 employees, representing roughly 4.5% of its workforce at the time.

Set Drive Tesla Canada as your preferred source

Always get the latest - make Drive Tesla your preferred source on Google

Are you buying a Tesla? If you enjoy our content and we helped in your decision, use our referral link to get three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD).

Drive Tesla uses affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Previous Article

Dutch Minister Defends Tesla FSD Approval After Reuters Questions Safety Data

Next Article

US Senators Ask NHTSA to Review Tesla’s FSD Safety Claims Following Reuters Investigation

You might be interested in …