A Rivian R1S electrical car (EV) at a dealership and repair middle in San Francisco, California, US, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
DETROIT – Rivian Automotive is shedding roughly 4.5% of its workforce because the all-electric car maker faces rising market challenges, based on a word despatched to staff Thursday and considered by CNBC.
Within the message, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe stated the cuts largely concerned restructurings of its advertising and marketing, car operations and gross sales/supply and cellular operations groups.
“These will not be adjustments that have been made evenly. With the altering working backdrop, we needed to rethink how we’re scaling our go-to-market features. This information is difficult to listen to, and the onerous work and contributions of the group members who’re leaving are enormously appreciated,” Scaringe stated.
Rivian had just below 15,000 staff on the finish of final yr.
The word didn’t specify what number of staff can be laid off. The Wall Road Journal, which first reported the plans, stated the layoffs would have an effect on greater than 600 staff, which a supply aware of the plans confirmed to CNBC. The individual spoke anonymously as a result of the information had not but been made public.
Rivian and different EV producers are more and more going through a more difficult market than they did lately amid altering rules underneath the Trump administration, together with the elimination of a $7,500 federal incentive for buying an EV.
Apart from regulatory points, Rivian additionally faces slower-than-expected EV demand and an absence of recent merchandise till subsequent yr amid wants for money and earnings losses. The corporate misplaced $1.1 billion throughout the second quarter.
Scaringe, within the Thursday word, stated the adjustments will guarantee the corporate “can ship on our potential by scaling effectively in the direction of constructing a wholesome and worthwhile enterprise,” because it prepares to launch its new R2 fashions, that are anticipated to start manufacturing subsequent yr.
Rivian’s car gross sales elevated 32% to 13,201 items yr over yr throughout the third quarter as consumers hurried to buy an EV earlier than the federal incentives expired on the finish of September, however the firm’s 2025 supply forecast was narrowed from as many as 46,000 items to between 41,500 and 43,500 automobiles.
In August, Rivian additionally flagged a much bigger adjusted core loss this yr, anticipating it to between $2 billion and $2.25 billion, in contrast with $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion beforehand forecast.
Shares of Rivian closed Thursday at $13.09, up 1.3%. The inventory is off lower than 2% this yr.
