According to The Wall Street Journal, Rivian is set to lay off an additional 600 employees, marking its third round of job cuts this year and accounting for roughly 4% of its workforce.
Earlier, the company reduced its staff by about 100 to 150 people in June and September, targeting its manufacturing and commercial divisions. Rivian has not specified which departments will be impacted by the latest layoffs.
These workforce reductions come as Rivian gears up for the 2026 debut of its crucial R2 SUV, aimed at the mass market. The automaker intends to produce up to 150,000 units of this electric vehicle annually at its Normal, Illinois facility. Rivian has also recently started construction on a new plant near Atlanta, which will manufacture additional R2 models and other versions.
However, until the R2 is available, Rivian is finding it challenging to maintain sales momentum with its existing models. The company’s most optimistic projection for total deliveries by the end of 2025 would still be a 16% decrease compared to last year’s numbers.
