Rivian had high hopes for its more affordable R2 vehicle – and so far, those hopes appear to be paying off.
The company released its third-quarter production and delivery figures today, reporting 19,751 vehicles produced and 19,248 delivered. This represents an 85 percent year-over-year increase in production and a 45 percent increase in deliveries. (For a direct-to-consumer automaker like Rivian, deliveries serve as a proxy for sales.) The company also reaffirmed its guidance for full-year 2026, expecting to deliver 65,000 to 70,000 vehicles.
Rivian told investors it would sell more than 25,000 R2s in its first year of production, making it one of the fastest new electric vehicle launches in U.S. history. The R2 had to be a success for Rivian to survive as an independent company. As Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told us earlier this year: “R2 is the most important thing we have because it’s what takes us from being a sub-scale to being a full-scale manufacturer. »
Although Rivian doesn’t break down its sales by model, the company expects full-year deliveries for its R1 lineup (the R1T truck and R1S SUV) and its electric delivery van to remain stable. Last year, Rivian delivered more than 13,000 vehicles in the third quarter. Assuming R1 and van deliveries remain stable, that leaves approximately 6,000 R2 vehicles delivered to customers this quarter.
The sales report comes amid a string of good news for Rivian. The company recently announced that the R2 achieved its climate target of reducing its lifetime emissions by 50% four years ahead of schedule.
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