US EV Maker Rivian Raises Full-Year Delivery Guidance to At Least 67,000 Units as R2 SUV Becomes Best-Seller
Rivian raised its 2026 delivery guidance floor to 67,000 units for the second time this year, citing strong sales of its new R2 SUV.
US electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive announced on October 29 that it has raised the lower bound of its full-year 2026 EV delivery guidance from 65,000 to 67,000 units. This marks the second time the company has increased its delivery expectations this year. Rivian attributed the adjustment primarily to the strong sales performance of its newly launched R2 SUV in the third quarter, although the company did not disclose the exact number of R2 units sold.
In the third quarter, Rivian produced 19,751 vehicles and delivered 19,248, representing an approximately 45% increase year-over-year and a significant jump from the second quarter. The company stated that the R2 model was responsible for much of the quarter-over-quarter gain. This increase in deliveries signals that Rivian is on track to break a three-year stalemate during which it struggled to ship more than 50,000 vehicles annually.
Financially, Rivian reported third-quarter revenue of $2.2 billion and a net loss of $913 million, narrowing from a $1.2 billion loss in the same period last year. In a letter to shareholders, the company noted that with the US automotive marketplace starved for high-quality EV choices, the attractively priced R2 is resonating with a broad set of consumers and is expected to be a game changer for Rivian’s long-term growth and profitability.
The R2 SUV launched in June with a starting price just under $60,000. A more affordable 'premium' trim is scheduled for later this year at $53,990, with even cheaper versions slated for 2027 starting at $44,990. As the US federal EV tax credit ends and regulatory shifts cause traditional automakers to pivot back to hybrids, pure-EV companies like Tesla and Rivian face a changing competitive landscape.