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Rivian Lays Off Hundreds of Service and Customer Staff Days After R2 Deliveries Begin

The company says the cuts are meant to boost efficiency to help reach R2 volume targets to reduce losses.

Overview

  • Rivian confirmed Tuesday that it cut less than 2% of its workforce, notifying hundreds of employees in service and customer-facing roles responsible for deliveries, support and sales.
  • The layoffs came about one week after Rivian began delivering the R2 midsize SUV, the model the company expects to drive a large increase in volume and improve margins.
  • Rivian framed the move as a restructuring to “profitably scale” the business and said affected workers will receive severance, benefits and career-transition assistance.
  • The company has never posted an annual profit and carried an accumulated deficit of roughly $27 billion at the end of 2025, a financial strain that has led to multiple rounds of cuts since 2024.
  • Trimming service, sales and marketing staff as the R2 rollout expands could lengthen repair and delivery wait times for new owners and is a key risk to customer experience during the ramp.