Rivian's R2 SUV Becomes Its Best-Selling Vehicle in Q3

Rivian said Thursday that its new R2 SUV was the company's best-selling vehicle in the third quarter, just four months after it went on sale, according to a shareholder letter cited by TechCrunch. The automaker also raised its full-year delivery guidance for the second time in 2026.

Rivian did not disclose exact R2 unit sales. It said the model drove "much of the gain quarter-over-quarter" in deliveries.

What did Rivian report for the third quarter?

Rivian built 19,751 vehicles between July and September and delivered 19,248 of them, the company said, as reported by TechCrunch. That is roughly 45% more deliveries than the same quarter in 2025. It also marks a sharp jump from the second quarter of 2026, when Rivian built 12,613 vehicles and delivered 12,194. The company credited a second production shift at its factory in Normal, Illinois, for part of the increase.

How much did Rivian raise its delivery guidance?

Rivian had told investors it expected to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles this year. On Thursday it raised the floor of that range to 67,000, according to the shareholder letter. It is the second time this year Rivian has raised its full-year delivery forecast. The company had struggled for three straight years to ship more than 50,000 vehicles annually before this year's increases.

Why is the R2 outselling Rivian's other models?

Rivian launched the R2 in June at a price just under $60,000, well below the company's existing R1T truck and R1S SUV. In its shareholder letter, Rivian framed the vehicle as a response to a thin domestic EV lineup.

"In a U.S. automotive marketplace starved for high-quality EV choice, R2 is an attractively priced option for everyday adventures that is resonating with a broad set of consumers," Rivian said in the letter, as quoted by TechCrunch.

What does the R2 cost, and what's coming next?

The R2 currently starts just under $60,000. Rivian plans to introduce a "premium" trim later this year starting at $53,990. Cheaper versions are slated for 2027, with pricing as low as $44,990, according to the company's disclosures.

By the numbers

• Q3 2026 deliveries: 19,248, up about 45% year over year
• Q2 2026 deliveries: 12,194
• Full-year delivery guidance: raised to 67,000–70,000 from 65,000–70,000
• Q3 2026 revenue: $2.2 billion
• Q3 2026 net loss: $913 million, down from a $1.2 billion loss a year earlier

How is Rivian doing financially overall?

Rivian reported $2.2 billion in third-quarter revenue and a net loss of $913 million, an improvement from the $1.2 billion loss it posted in the same period last year, according to the shareholder letter cited by TechCrunch. The narrower loss came even as the company ramped up R2 production, which typically strains margins in early build phases.

What changed in the broader EV market this year?

The R2's early sales come after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expired last year. TechCrunch reported that the Trump administration also rolled back regulations that had supported EV adoption, prompting several major automakers to redirect investment toward internal combustion and hybrid vehicles. That retreat, TechCrunch noted, has left more market space for companies built solely around electric vehicles, including Tesla and Rivian.

Rivian has not said when it will report full fourth-quarter or full-year 2026 results, or when it will disclose R2-specific delivery figures separate from its total EV count.

How quickly is Rivian scaling up R2 production?

Rivian launched the R2 in June and has pushed to ramp up manufacturing of the lower-cost SUV at what the company has called a historically quick rate, according to TechCrunch. The automaker added a second production shift at its Normal, Illinois, factory during the third quarter to support that ramp, a move it credited for part of the overall delivery increase.

The R2's quick scale-up follows three straight years in which Rivian struggled to clear 50,000 total vehicle deliveries annually, per the company's own guidance history cited by TechCrunch. Hitting a revised floor of 67,000 deliveries for 2026 would mark the first time the company has topped that threshold, though Rivian has not said how many of those deliveries it expects to come from the R2 specifically versus its existing R1T and R1S lineup.

TechCrunch, which first reported the shareholder letter, did not cite additional detail on production targets beyond the current fiscal year.

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