Rivian has laid off about 140 employees—roughly 1% of its workforce—as it gears up for the release of its more affordable R2 SUV next year, TechCrunch has learned.
The job cuts mainly affected Rivian’s manufacturing team and have been happening since Wednesday, according to several former employees who spoke on condition of anonymity. Some workers were told their roles were being eliminated because they contributed to “process inefficiencies.”
We have made the difficult decision to reduce a small number of our salaried manufacturing employees as part of an ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency for R2,” a spokesperson said.
The company added that employees who were let go are being encouraged to apply for other open positions within Rivian.
Rivian started this year with over 14,800 employees across North America and Europe, according to its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
These recent cuts are the latest in a series of workforce reductions. In early 2024, Rivian laid off about 10% of its staff, followed by another 1% reduction in April of that year.
The company says streamlining operations is essential as it prepares to ramp up production and bring the R2 SUV to market in 2026.
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