Gasgoo News According to foreign media reports, the United StatesElectric vehicleManufacturer Rivian has recently laid off about 140 employees, accounting for about 1% of its total workforce.
R2； Image credit: Rivian
Some former Rivian employees revealed that the layoffs are mainly focused on Rivian’s manufacturing team, which has been implemented since June 25. Some of the laid-off employees were told that the company’s move was to eliminate “inefficient processes” positions.
Rivian confirmed the layoffs in an email to TechCrunch. A Rivian spokesperson said: “As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the operational efficiency of the R2 model, we have made the difficult decision to reduce the number of salaried employees in the manufacturing department. However, Rivian said affected employees can apply for other open positions within the company.
howeverIt is worth noting thatTwo days before the layoffs, Rivian reiterated that the company plans to start production of its highly anticipated R2 compact crossover in 2026 and said it would add jobs to expand its plant in Normal, Illinois, USA. It is reported that the Rivian R2 will be the fourth model to be produced at the Normal plant, following the R1S, R1T and Rivian commercial vans.
Rivian plans to discontinue production and renovate the Normal plant later this year in preparation for mass production of the R2 model. Rivian said that the relevant equipment has arrived at the factory and will be installed and commissioned with minimal interference to the R1S/R1T production line; In the future, the R2 production line will share some positions with the existing production line.
Rivian was the first company in the United States to launch an electric pickup truck, an achievement that many believe will put it at the top of the American automotive industry. However, this expectation did not materialize, partly because the electric pickup proved to be a failure and the market conditions were more severe than Rivian management had anticipated. In addition, the company also made some mistakes in resource allocation, resulting in poor operations.
Rivian has been forced to take corrective measures such as layoffs several times, allowing the company to continue planning for a positive cash flow future, but Rivian continues to lose money. Foreign media reported that although Rivian’s finance department reported a meager gross profit margin positive in the past two quarters through certain accounting means, this does not change the fact that its business operations are still losing money.
If the Trump administration cancels electric vehicle and battery incentives, the situation will be worse. But the bigger problem is that the U.S. government is also easing carbon regulations, which will destroy the lucrative market for trading carbon credits. Rivian has long relied on carbon credit revenue to maintain balance sheet balance to offset losses in its automobile manufacturing business. If traditional fuel vehicle companies no longer need to buy carbon emission credits, this key source of income will be completely depleted.
according toRivianAnnual Report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,At the beginning of this year,The company is owned in North America and Europeexceed14,800Employees. howeverRecentlyRivianSeveral rounds of layoffs have been carried out，include2024Layoffs at the beginning of the year10%，and2024year4The contract is to lay off employees twice a month1%。
