Rivian has quietly revised one of its key financial milestones, confirming it no longer expects to achieve adjusted EBITDA profitability by 2027 as it shifts more resources toward autonomous vehicle development.
The update came through a 10-K regulatory filing, where the company pointed to increased research and development (R&D) spending tied to accelerating its autonomy roadmap,.
“In addition, the Company no longer expects to be adjusted EBITDA positive in 2027 due to an expected increase in R&D spend associated with the acceleration of its autonomy roadmap,” the company wrote.
That marks a notable change from Rivian’s earlier strategy, which had anticipated tapering R&D expenses after years of heavy upfront investment as a fledgling automaker.
Autonomy takes priority over near-term profitability
The revised outlook highlights how central autonomous driving has become to Rivian’s long-term strategy. CFO Claire McDonough previously emphasized this direction during the company’s latest earnings call, stating, “We believe autonomy will be a key fundamental long-term differentiator for our business.” (via CFO Dive)
A major piece of that strategy is Rivian’s multi-year partnership with Uber announced this week. The deal includes plans to develop and deploy fully autonomous vehicles—starting with the upcoming R2 platform—on Uber’s ride-hailing network in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Uber is expected to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian through 2031, with the partnership targeting the deployment of at least 10,000 autonomous R2 vehicles, and potentially up to 50,000 units longer term. These vehicles are expected to feature Level 4 autonomy, allowing them to operate without human intervention in certain conditions.
However, that push comes at a cost. Rivian is already forecasting a significant adjusted EBITDA loss for 2026, estimated between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion, as spending ramps up. The company’s R&D expenses have been steadily climbing, reaching approximately $1.7 billion last year.
A shifting path after years of momentum
The updated timeline stands in contrast to Rivian’s earlier messaging around profitability. Just a few years ago, the company suggested it could reach profitability as early as 2024 through production scaling and cost reductions.At its 2024 investor day, Rivian outlined a path to EBITDA positivity by 2027.
Despite the delay, Rivian has shown signs of operational progress. In Q3 2025, the company reported $1.56 billion in revenue—up 78% year-over-year—along with one of its first quarterly gross profits. It also maintained strong liquidity, ending 2025 with $6.58 billion on hand, positioning it to support the upcoming launch of its more affordable R2 SUV in 2026.
Industry-wide shift toward robotaxis
Rivian’s pivot is part of a broader trend across the EV industry, where automakers are increasingly betting on autonomy as the next major growth driver.
Lucid is working with Uber and Nuro on a separate robotaxi program, and Tesla continues to expand its own autonomous efforts, with CEO Elon Musk claiming robotaxis could become widespread in the U.S. in the near term.
Related Stories:
• Rivian Prioritizing Driver-Centric AI Over Full Autonomy
• Rivian unveils in-house AI chip, Universal Hands-Free driving, and a new AI assistant at Autonomy & AI Day
• Rivian brings hands-free driving and more in latest software update
