Rivian sold 2,083 R2 SUVs in California in the third quarter, making its new midsize model the state’s sixth best-selling zero-emission vehicle in its first full quarter of deliveries, according to California Energy Commission (CEC) data.
The figure is up from 111 units in the second quarter, when the EV maker began handing the R2 to customers on June 9.
The SUV, crucial to Rivian’s ambition to enter the mass market, accounted for 61.8% of the brand’s 3,369 California sales in the third quarter.
Between April and June, Rivian recorded 1,692 vehicles in total.
The EPA Projection
Combined with second-quarter sales, Rivian has sold 2,194 R2s in California so far. That is 43.9% of the 5,000 California sales Rivian projected in its R2 certification application to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as EV reported in April.
The EPA’s certificate summary for the R2 lists the vehicle as a 2027 model year. Rivian has not published or announced a California-specific R2 sales target in its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission or in interviews.
To reach 5,000 units, Rivian would need to sell another 2,806 R2s in the state, more than in the whole third quarter.
The company began the second production shift in September, as confirmed to EV earlier this month.
As of early Tuesday, the owner-run platform Rivian Roamer shows the highest R2 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) at 16,9XX based on the 2,453 vehicles linked to the platform.
Ahead of the BMW i4
The R2 ranked behind only the Tesla Model Y (29,890), Tesla Model 3 (7,971), Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid (3,945), Hyundai IONIQ 5 (3,698) and Toyota bZ (2,455) among all zero-emission models sold in California in the quarter.
It outsold the BMW i4 (1,486) and the Kia EV9 (1,412).
Los Angeles County led R2 sales with 441 units, followed by Orange County with 355 and Santa Clara County with 272.
R1 Keeps Falling
Rivian’s overall California sales rose 99.1% from the second quarter but fell 0.9% from 3,400 units a year earlier, as demand for its older models weakened.
R1S sales fell to 971 units from 2,672 in the third quarter of 2025, while R1T sales dropped to 309 from 584.
Rivian’s share of California’s zero-emission vehicle sales rose to 4.2% from 1.9% in the second quarter and 2.7% a year earlier. It ranked fifth among all brands, behind Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai and BMW.
Broader Market
Californians bought 80,392 new zero-emission vehicles in the third quarter, or 19.1% of new car sales, the CEC said. That compares with 127,089 units and a 28.3% share a year earlier, before the federal tax credit expired.
The R2 is not yet eligible for California’s new MyFirstEV state rebate. Rivian said it estimates the R2 will qualify in 2027.
The CEC counts a new sale when the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registers a vehicle with fewer than 120 miles on it. Registrations can lag sales by about three weeks, and the CEC treats current-year figures as preliminary, revising them in later updates.
Q4 Ramp
Rivian delivered a record 19,248 vehicles worldwide in the third quarter and reaffirmed its 2026 guidance of 65,000 to 70,000 deliveries. It does not break down deliveries by model.
The company said in July it expects deliveries to be weighted toward the fourth quarter as R2 production ramps up.
Rivian will report third-quarter financial results on October 29, after the market closes. Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough is set to leave the EV maker the following day and join GE Vernova after spending six years in the premium brand.
Rivian shares reached a new 14-month low on Monday at $12.16, giving the company a market cap value of approximately $17.8 billion.
