Overview

• Rivian laid off about 140 employees, roughly 1% of its workforce, mostly from its manufacturing team to streamline operations for the upcoming R2 SUV.
• Chief Operations Officer Javier Varela confirmed a 1.1 million-square-foot expansion at the Normal, Illinois plant is on schedule for first-half 2026 R2 output.
• Baird projects Rivian will deliver 9,900 vehicles in Q2 versus a 10,600-unit consensus, citing a one-month factory shutdown to install R2 tooling.
• The company has cut U.S. lease rates for its R1T and R1S models and lowered full-year delivery guidance to 40,000–46,000 vehicles as it faces higher tariffs and production costs.
• Construction is underway on a second U.S. factory in Stanton Springs, Georgia, which is planned to assemble over 400,000 vehicles annually.