Rivian laid off hundreds of workers in its service and customer organization on Tuesday, less than 2% of its roughly 15,200-person workforce, one week after beginning R2 SUV deliveries. The move aims to narrow losses as the unprofitable company ramps production of its mainstream model amid a tougher EV market and the loss of federal purchase incentives.
The company has never posted an annual profit.
Rivian started deliveries of its more affordable R2 SUV seven days before the job cuts.
Tap a lens to see what this story means for you.
Liked this? The Brief brings you the whole day in tech, verified, every morning.
Two minutes, free forever. What's in The Brief →
See what’s happening right now
The Feed runs all day — short, verified briefs the moment they break.
Open the FeedFollow @thecircuitry_
Every story we publish, as it happens. No noise between.
Reader-supported
The Circuitry is a passion project I've always wanted to build, and I love the work behind it.
Running it costs real money. APIs, hosting, time. To keep improving the site and growing this into something useful for everyone, those costs have to be covered.
Any contribution is appreciated. If not, no pressure. Thanks for reading.
A roundup of electric mobility news on September 5, 2026 highlights the August 11 bankruptcy at Accell Group and July 29 judicial recovery for CactUs Lock, a prominent charging myth on French radio, solar battery test results, and a policy reversal on Tesla FSD following July resistance. These stories illustrate ongoing financial fragility, public misunderstanding of EV best practices, and evolving regulatory attitudes across Europe.
Volkswagen's supervisory board has unanimously approved the Future Plan 2030, which includes an additional 50,000 job cuts worldwide to reach a total of around 100,000 and leaves four German plants without secured future vehicle production after 2031-2034. The move aims to reduce costs and improve competitiveness against Chinese rivals, with alternative uses for the factories to be examined by June 2027.
Uber is laying off around 3,000 employees, about 10 percent of its roughly 34,000-person workforce, while requiring nearly all staff to return to offices in a bid to simplify decision-making and redirect savings into growth areas such as autonomous vehicles.
Microsoft has filed notice to permanently lay off 605 workers at its Redmond headquarters effective September 4, 2026. Axios notes 493 Redmond + other WA sites for the 605 total. The cuts are part of a sweeping Xbox gaming division restructure inside a global plan targeting approximately 3,200 roles in FY2027.
Bentley will reveal its first battery-electric SUV, the Torcal, on September 23, 2026, in London while deliberately stressing heritage over the powertrain. The launch occurs amid a steep drop in luxury EV interest that has already forced rivals to cut or postpone programs and prompted Bentley to delay full electrification until 2035.
