Rivian Automotive raised its delivery guidance for 2026 on Thursday, citing sustained customer interest in its electric delivery vans and R1 models plus an early contribution from its new, lower-priced R2 SUV. The company now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles in 2026, up from its previous projection of 62,000 to 67,000.
Management pointed to the R2, which began production in April and started customer deliveries in June, as a key element of the upward revision. The launch variant of the smaller R2 SUV starts at $57,990. Rivian reported that second-quarter deliveries increased by over 14% to 12,194 vehicles, a result that exceeded Visible Alpha consensus estimates of 10,518 for the quarter.
Analysts polled by Visible Alpha expect the company to deliver 63,138 vehicles this year, a figure that sits below Rivian's revised full-year range for 2026. To reach the midpoint of the updated 2026 target, Rivian would need to deliver roughly 45,000 additional vehicles in the second half of the year.
The company plans a staggered rollout of R2 variants. A $53,990 premium version is slated to arrive later this year, followed by a rear-wheel-drive Standard model priced at $48,490 in early next year. Rivian has also set a target for a $45,000 variant by late 2027. The automaker said it is developing additional, undisclosed R2 variants, including a potential performance version, and an R3 crossover that could broaden its addressable market in lower-price segments.
Rivian emphasized that demand for its electric delivery vans remains robust and, along with the R1 family of SUVs and pickup trucks, contributed to the quarterly delivery increase. The company also noted a strategic investor agreement announced in March under which Uber would invest up to $1.25 billion as part of a plan to deploy 10,000 fully autonomous R2 SUVs as robotaxis starting in 2028.
While the revised guidance reflects confidence in growing demand and the R2 launch, the company faces a sizable delivery ramp in the latter half of 2026 to meet the midpoint of its range. Rivian continues to expand model variants and adjust its rollout timing, signaling an incremental approach to widening its lineup and pursuing volume growth across multiple vehicle segments.
Methodology note: Delivery figures and analyst estimates cited above are from Visible Alpha and company disclosures.