Rivian Launches New Round of Layoffs Just One Week After R2 EV SUV Deliveries Begin

American electric vehicle maker Rivian has initiated a layoff plan affecting hundreds of employees, just one week after beginning deliveries of its R2 all-electric SUV. The layoffs represent less than 2% of the company’s total workforce and primarily impact departments including service, customer support, sales, and marketing. The company stated the move is aimed at improving operational efficiency and advancing its goal of achieving scalable profitability. This marks Rivian’s fourth round of layoffs since early 2024. To date, the company has accumulated losses of approximately $30 billion. Originally targeting its first profit in 2027, Rivian announced in March 2024 that it was delaying this goal due to high investments in autonomous driving technology development. In the same month, Rivian revealed a partnership agreement with Uber, under which Uber plans to invest up to $1.25 billion and purchase as many as 50,000 R2 SUVs for its autonomous ride-hailing business. Currently, Rivian only offers hands-free driver-assist features that require continuous driver attention on the road and has not yet demonstrated full self-driving capabilities.