Rivian R2 Becomes Best-Selling Model as Automaker Raises Delivery Outlook

Rivian’s R2 has already become the company’s best-selling vehicle by volume, overtaking the R1T, R1S and electric delivery van during the third quarter.

The milestone comes just months after customer deliveries began and has prompted the automaker to raise the baseline of its 2026 delivery forecast as it prepares for a larger production ramp.

R2 leads Rivian’s lineup as delivery guidance moves higher

In its third-quarter earnings report, Rivian said the R2 outsold every other vehicle in its lineup between July and September.

“We had great results with R2 becoming our best selling vehicle by volume in the third quarter,” CEO RJ Scaringe said in a statement. “Customer and media feedback on R2 has been exceptional,” he added, according to InsideEVs.

Rivian has now lifted the lower end of its annual delivery forecast from 65,000 to 67,000 vehicles, while keeping the upper end at 70,000. The company had already raised that baseline once this year, from 62,000 units to 65,000.

Rivian previously reported that it produced 19,751 vehicles in the third quarter and delivered 19,248. To reach the new guidance floor of 67,000 deliveries, the company will need to deliver at least 25,193 vehicles in the fourth quarter, which would be its best quarter yet. Interim CFO Derek Mulvey said during the earnings call that Rivian expects R2 models to account for most of those deliveries.

Revenue reached $2.1 billion, a 38% increase from the year-ago quarter, driven by higher deliveries, regulatory credit revenue and growth in software and services. That division generated $605 million, up 45%, with the Volkswagen Group partnership contributing to its growth. The company nevertheless reported a $913 million net loss, compared with $1.17 billion a year earlier.

Rivian adds production capacity as it builds out R2 plans

A second R2 production shift is now running, and Rivian expects output to keep climbing over the next several quarters. It is counting on the R2 ramp to deliver a positive automotive gross margin by year-end.

The R2 lineup is set to expand beyond the Performance Launch Edition, which debuted in June for just under $60,000. Rivian expects to introduce the $53,990 Premium model this year, followed by a $44,990 Standard version in 2027.

The vehicle is also central to Rivian’s plans for future models such as the R3 and R4, as well as its driver-assistance technology. The company is developing a more advanced version of Autonomy+ that would add point-to-point autonomous driving on city streets to its existing hands-free highway driving and on-command lane changes. A limited rollout is expected to begin by the end of this year.

Separately, Rivian plans to provide as many as 50,000 robotaxis to Uber from 2028, and it recently bought Third Dimension, a synthetic data startup based in the U.K., to support that effort.

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