Rivian is reportedly reducing its workforce by 600 employees in its third layoff of the year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The cuts come as the electric vehicle maker prepares for a new model launch amid struggles with sales momentum.
This reduction represents approximately 4% of the company’s total workforce. It follows two previous rounds of layoffs in 2024, including a cut of 100 to 150 commercial team members in September and a similar reduction for manufacturing teams in June. Rivian declined to comment on which specific departments are impacted by the latest staff cuts.
The workforce changes occur as Rivian prepares to launch its mass-market R2 SUV, scheduled for 2026. The company intends to produce as many as 150,000 R2 units annually at its factory in Normal, Illinois. In addition, Rivian recently broke ground on a new factory outside of Atlanta designated for building more R2s and other vehicle variants.
Until the R2 model reaches the market, the company faces challenges maintaining sales for its current vehicle lineup. Rivian’s best-case projection for total deliveries by the end of 2025 indicates a potential 16% decline compared to the sales figures from the previous year.
