Just months after starting production of its new battery-electric R2 SUVs, Rivian now appears to be planning for another round of layoffs. However, the layoffs are not reported to impact production staff.

In its release of 2026 first-quarter financials, Rivian reported a gross profit of $199 million, down $87 million from the same quarter in 2025. The automotive segment reported a gross loss of $62 million.

Rivian reported this week that it will lay off less than 2% of its workforce, which stood at 15,232 at the end of 2025, CNBC reported. The layoffs were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The 2026 layoffs follow the layoffs of more than 600 workers in October of last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The layoff news comes just a week after Rivian announced its first customer deliveries of the R2, which is produced in the company’s Normal, Illinois, manufacturing facility. Last week, Rivian also extended invitations to place orders to existing R2 reservation holders.

The new battery-electric initially rolled out with the R2 Performance with Launch Package, starting at $57,990.

Specs and features for the R2 Performance include:

• Dual-motor all-wheel drive producing 656 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque
• 0–60 mph in as quick as 3.6 seconds
• An EPA-estimated range of up to 330 miles
• Semi-active suspension (unique to Performance trim)
• Tow Package with an integrated 2-inch hitch receiver and 4,400 pounds of towing capacity

Later this year, the R2 Premium configuration will become available, with R2 Standard configurations appearing in late 2026 and into 2027.

Rivian’s 2026 First-Quarter Performance

According to the company’s release of its First Quarter 2026 Financial Results, consolidated revenue was $1,381 million, an 11% increase over the same quarter of the previous year.

As far as manufacturing performance, in the first quarter, Rivian produced 10,236 vehicles at the Normal, Illinois, facility and delivered 10,365 to customers.

Decreased Automotive Segment Revenue

However, Rivian reported a 2% decrease in automotive segment revenue compared to the first quarter of 2025. The company attributed that drop in revenue to “a $100 million decrease in sales of automotive regulatory credits and a decline in automotive revenue per unit delivered due to a higher mix of commercial vans, which were partially offset by a 20% increase in vehicle deliveries.”

Software & Services Revenue Increase

Meanwhile, the software and services revenue improved, with the first quarter of 2026 outperforming the prior year’s opening quarter by 49%. This year’s first quarter revenue for that segment was $473 million.

Quarterly Gross Profit Down by $87 Million

Rivian reported a gross profit of $199 million, down $87 million from the same quarter in 2025. That appears to have been driven by a $62 million loss in automotive segment gross profit in the opening quarter of this year. In the 2025 opening quarter, the automotive segment gross profit was $92 million.

The company, in its financial statements, explained that this year’s first-quarter automotive segment gross profit shortfall was “due primarily to the $100 million decrease in sales of automotive regulatory credits and lower production volumes, resulting in a $42 million and $3 million increase in depreciation and stock-based compensation, respectively.”