Rivian Faces Q2 Delivery Shortfall as It Scales Up Illinois Plant for $45,000 R2 SUV

Rivian is expanding its Normal, Illinois, plant by 1.1 million square feet to prepare for the R2’s scheduled first-half 2026 production.

Overview

Baird analysts project roughly 9,900 vehicle deliveries in Q2, missing the 10,600 consensus as Rivian plans a one-month factory shutdown for R2 production line retooling.
Motor Intelligence data show Rivian registered 6,658 vehicles in April and May, down from 7,559 a year earlier amid the production slowdown.
The company has slashed lease rates on its R1T pickup and R1S SUV ahead of updated 2026 model year rollouts.
Rivian lowered its full-year delivery guidance to 40,000–46,000 vehicles from a previous range of 46,000–51,000 units.
Rivian has delivered about 10,000 commercial vans to Amazon since December and is advancing a second U.S. plant in Georgia with capacity for over 400,000 vehicles annually.