If You Believed Tesla's First Quarter Was Poor, Rivian's Was Even Worse | Carscoops

      Deliveries in the first quarter dropped 36 percent compared to the previous year, reflecting ongoing difficulties for emerging electric vehicle manufacturers.

      Reported by John Halas 10 hours ago

      Rivian experienced a 36 percent decrease in Q1 deliveries year-over-year, delivering only 8,640 vehicles.

      The company projects deliveries of up to 51,000 in 2025, which is slightly under last year's figures.

      Following the release of its recent quarterly sales report, Rivian's stock decreased by nearly 4 percent.

      If you thought Tesla was having a challenging start to the year, Rivian’s first quarter might alter your understanding of "challenging." The EV startup produced 14,611 units of its R1S and R1T models at its facility in Normal, Illinois, during the first three months of 2025, with only 8,640 units delivered. This marks a 36 percent decline compared to the same period last year when it delivered 13,588 vehicles.

      In contrast, Tesla recorded a 13 percent year-over-year decrease in Q1 deliveries, falling to 336,000 units, its weakest quarter in nearly three years. The company is still dealing with various distractions, including global protests associated with its controversial CEO and ongoing delays in the North American launch of the updated Model Y “Juniper.”

      While Rivian's results are disappointing, they were not unexpected. The company had already forecasted producing around 14,000 vehicles and delivering about 8,000 for the quarter, and analysts largely concurred with these estimates.

      For context, General Motors sold 7,111 electric trucks in Q1 across its various brands. This includes 2,383 Silverado EVs (a 125 percent increase from Q1 2024), along with 1,249 GMC Sierra EVs and 3,479 Hummer EVs, divided between SUV and pickup models. Ford's F-150 Lightning had slightly better results with 7,187 deliveries, though this represented a 7 percent decline from the previous year.

      Despite the sales downturn, Rivian achieved at least one positive outcome in the first quarter: the R1S ranked among the top five best-selling EVs in the U.S. in February.

      Looking forward, Rivian anticipates delivering between 46,000 and 51,000 vehicles in 2025, slightly below last year's total of 51,579. Financially, the company expects an adjusted loss of $1.7 to $1.9 billion for 2025, an improvement from the $2.69 billion loss recorded last year.

      The market reaction was not favorable, with Rivian's stock falling approximately 4 percent after the earnings announcement, closing at $12.74. As of this publication, the stock has dropped 4.11 percent year to date.

      On the production front, Rivian is upgrading its Illinois plant in preparation for the forthcoming mid-size R2 SUV, set to launch in the first half of 2026. This will be followed by the more affordable R3, expected to be released in 2027. The aim is for these next-generation models to help Rivian move closer to profitability or at least improve future financial reports.