Electric vehicle maker Rivian has laid off approximately 140 employees, representing about 1% of its global workforce, as part of a broader restructuring initiative aimed at improving manufacturing efficiency ahead of its upcoming R2 SUV.
The latest round of job cuts, reported by TechCrunch and confirmed by the company, mainly affected salaried manufacturing staff. A Rivian spokesperson described the move as part of an “ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency for R2,” referencing the automaker’s mid-size electric SUV slated for release in 2026.
Employees impacted by the layoffs are being encouraged to apply for other open positions within the company. Rivian entered 2025 with over 14,800 employees across North America and Europe.
This marks the third round of job reductions by the EV startup in the past year. In early 2024, Rivian cut approximately 10% of its salaried workforce after lowering its production forecast for the year. A second reduction, also targeting about 1% of employees, followed in April and affected mainly support and non-manufacturing roles.
Rivian previously implemented workforce cuts of around 6% in both July 2022 and May 2023 as part of its strategy to align costs with production capacity and long-term goals.