Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“ Form 10-K”). This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” or in other parts of this Form 10-K. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future. The discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for financial statement line items other than revenues, cost of revenues, and gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 is included in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Overview
Rivian is an American automotive manufacturer that develops and builds category-defining electric vehicles (“EVs”) as well as software and services that address the entire lifecycle of the vehicle. The Company creates innovative and technologically advanced products that are designed to excel at work and play with the goal of accelerating the global transition to zero-emission transportation and energy. Rivian vehicles are built in the United States and are sold directly to consumer and commercial customers. Whether taking families on new adventures or electrifying fleets at scale, Rivian vehicles all share a common goal — preserving the natural world for generations to come.
Our vertically integrated zonal network architecture serves as the basis for the recently-formed Rivian and VW Group Technology, LLC (the “Joint Venture”). We expect the Joint Venture to develop industry-leading software-enabled features and capabilities to address global markets and segments across a variety of vehicle platforms; including mass-market, premium, and modern-luxury.
Rivian also built and offers a vertically integrated set of software and services that span across the entire purchase and ownership process. These services include remarketing, vehicle repair and maintenance, charging, software subscriptions, financing, insurance, and more. Interconnected by our data and analytics backbone, our services are designed to deliver fast-paced innovation cycles, structural cost advantages, and exceptional customer experiences.
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, in conjunction with growth in revenues from software and services and establishing Rivian and VW Group Technology, LLC, there was a change in the composition of the Company’s segments. As a result of this change, the Company now analyzes the results of the business through the following reportable segments: Automotive and Software and Services.
Additional information about our business, reportable segments, and products and services is included in Part I, Item 1. “Business” . During the year ended December 31, 2024, we produced 49,476 vehicles and delivered 51,579 vehicles.
Factors Affecting Our Performance
The growth and future success of our business depends on many factors. While these factors present significant opportunities for our business, they also pose risks and challenges, including those discussed below and in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” that we must successfully address to achieve growth, improve our results of operations, and generate profits.
• Ability to Develop and Launch New Offerings. We believe the Rivian brand is becoming established in the most attractive consumer and commercial vehicle market segments. However, our ability to grow revenues and expand margins will also depend on our ability to develop and launch new vehicle platforms and programs, including our midsize platform (“MSP”). In the first quarter of 2024, we unveiled our R2 and R3 product lines, underpinned by our new MSP, and offered the opportunity for customers to make reservations for the R2 with a cancellable and fully refundable deposit of $100. We expect to start production of the R2 in the first half of 2026. We believe our MSP will be foundational to Rivian’s long-term growth and profit potential. We believe it positions Rivian to address new, global market segments and is designed to build upon our industry-leading technology platform as well as our focus on driving down manufacturing complexity and improving cost efficiency. We expect MSP to benefit from the key vertically integrated technologies developed for R1 including our software stack, propulsion technology, network architecture and vehicle electronics. In addition, the platform has been designed for cost efficiency, with a focus on part consolidation or elimination. In the second quarter of 2024, we began offering our second generation R1
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vehicles, which have been reengineered for more efficiency, lower cost, and higher performance. In the third quarter of 2024, we launched the Rivian pre-owned vehicle program which expands opportunities to gain new customers. Our future financial performance will also depend on our ability to offer software and services that profitably deliver an intuitive, seamless, and compelling customer experience profitably.
• Ability to Attract New Customers. Our growth will depend in large part on our ability to attract new consumer and commercial customers. We have invested heavily in developing our ecosystem and plan to continue to do so. We currently have low brand awareness but through our investment in marketing and our communication strategy, we expect to see substantial increases in brand awareness, translating into more sales of our vehicles and increasing our base of customers. Marketing activities include brand campaigns, community events, and partnerships along with digital marketing campaigns, such as MSP and second generation R1 introduction events in the first and second quarter of 2024, respectively. In 2025, we expect our total deliveries to be derived primarily from new orders generated during the year. However, our current incoming order rate for our R1 vehicles must improve for us to meet our delivery targets. To support demand generation, we are in the process of implementing new capabilities, such as expanding our retail customer engagement spaces (“spaces”), expanding our demonstration drives, and building our sales and marketing team, technology, and infrastructure, which increases our costs. To generate and maintain demand, we expect to incur significantly higher and more sustained marketing and promotional expenditures than we have previously incurred to attract consumers. Our future success will also depend on growing our base of commercial customers, which may require additional investments in customer education regarding our products and services. For our commercial customers, the evaluation process may be longer, with complex procurement and budgeting considerations. We have entered into pilot programs for, and begun deliveries of, Rivian Commercial Vans (“ RCVs”), and we expect to increase our commercial vehicle sales and marketing efforts in the near term. An inability to attract sufficient new customers at appropriate vehicle pricing points would substantially impact our ability to grow revenues and improve our financial performance.
• Ability to Manage Costs. Selling our vehicles profitably requires successful and timely execution against multiple cost reduction objectives across the vehicle and our manufacturing operations. The production capacity at our manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois (“Normal Factory”) is operating significantly below full vehicle production rate capacity. This lower utilization of plant capacity results in the cost of revenues to operate the plant being much higher per unit of production than would be the case if we were manufacturing at capacity. In the first quarter of 2024, we announced that initial production of R2 will be at our Normal Factory, resulting in the expansion of production capacity to approximately 215,000 units of annual production. Significant capital expenditures will be required to support the integration of R2 into our Normal Factory. Our future profitability depends upon our ability to scale our production and delivery operations more efficiently at a lower cost per unit. We may incur impairments of our equipment in the plant if the utilization of our plant capacity does not increase in the future. As a result of the updates made to our Normal Factory during the plant retooling upgrade, we accelerated depreciation during the first and second quarter of 2024 and had higher overhead costs per unit due to lower production in the second quarter of 2024. Following the plant retooling upgrade during the second quarter of 2024, we are beginning to experience improved manufacturing efficiencies. As our production capabilities continue to mature, we anticipate these benefits to reduce our cost per vehicle. The introduction of our second generation R1 vehicles has reduced material costs as a result of engineering design changes and improvements in supplier commercial terms. In addition, we expect to leverage previous technologies and platforms while growing sales and service infrastructure to support R2. Achieving cost reductions requires, among other things, a timely launch and associated ramp of R2 and scaling our vehicle production volumes, timely introduction of new components and technologies into production, negotiation of unit price reductions with suppliers, management of our labor and logistics costs, and pursuing opportunities to drive down warranty cost through quality. Should we not achieve such reductions in a timely manner, we could experience adverse impacts to our gross margin and consequently overall profitability.
• Ability to Scale our Ecosystem and Brand Experience. Our go-to-market strategy requires us to scale our ecosystem quickly and effectively, including our technology platform and product development and operational infrastructure. Our future success will also depend on our ability to further develop and leverage our proprietary technology platform. We believe our Joint Venture established in November 2024 reaffirms our strategy to vertically integrate our technology platform. The Joint Venture is expected to substantially expand the market applications for our software and associated zonal electrical architecture.
Our ability to enhance our product design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities and expand our production capacity, delivery and service operations, customer service, spaces, Rivian Adventure Network, and charging
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accessibility will be critical for supporting growth. During the first quarter of 2024, Rivian vehicles gained access to over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers across the United States and Canada using the North American Charging Standard DC adapter. We also opened up the Rivian Adventure Network to non-Rivian EVs in December 2024, allowing us to leverage the fixed costs associated with each charging site, which we expect will turn each charging site into a profit center over time and allow us to meet one of the key requirements for the government grants associated with expanding domestically-manufactured fast chargers across the country. We have expanded our service centers and spaces to allow for enhanced product education and customer engagement. We believe our long-term ability to achieve our financial targets will depend on our ability to cost-effectively scale our ecosystem, while also delivering a unified customer and brand experience consistent with our adventurous brand commitment.
• Ability to Drive Adoption of our Software and Services. Software and services are a key part of our growth strategy. We offer a variety of software and services, including vehicle electrical architecture and software development services, remarketing, vehicle repair and maintenance, charging, vehicle accessories, financing, insurance, and FleetOS solutions that we believe will grow our revenues outside of vehicle sales. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2024 we began offering Connect+, a subscription-based streaming and connectivity service, and expect to offer Rivian Autonomy Platform+, a premium expansion of automated driver assistance support, in the future. As we increase our base of Rivian customers and expand our software and services portfolio, we expect our customers to expand their usage of our software and service offerings over the full lifecycle of their vehicle ownership. We believe the software and services portion of our business will have the benefit of enabling a higher-margin, recurring revenue stream for each vehicle, thereby improving our margin profile. Our ability to grow revenues and our long-term financial performance will depend in part on our ability to drive adoption of these offerings at profitable price points.
• Ability to Invest in our Production and Capabilities. We believe that customer acquisition and retention is contingent on our ability to produce innovative offerings, including vehicles that deliver a broad combination of performance, utility, and capability, as well as software and services that enhance the ownership journey through new features, functions, and a best-in-class customer experience. To this end, we intend to continue making investments, including technology updates, to drive growth as we scale vehicle production and deliveries, expand our offerings, and strengthen our core capabilities. We executed a plant retooling upgrade in the second quarter of 2024 to introduce new technologies and cost-oriented material changes into our R1 platform and retool the R1 production line, which temporarily impacted our production. As we invest in our business for long-term growth, leading to increases in operating expenses as well as capital expenditures, we may experience further manufacturing shutdowns and additional losses, which could delay our ability to achieve profitability and positive operating cash flow. For example, we plan to shut down our Normal Factory for approximately one month in the second half of 2025 to integrate key elements of our manufacturing process in preparation for the planned launch of R2 in the first half of 2026, which will temporarily impact our overall production. We believe that the expansion of our production capacity at our Normal Factory to 215,000 units of annual production will allow us to drive greater capital efficiency. Any delays in the timing or execution of these investments could have an adverse impact on our prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, we anticipate that these future investments could require significant external debt and/or equity financing.
• Ability to Develop and Manage a Resilient Supply Chain. Our ability to manufacture vehicles and develop future solutions is dependent on the continued supply of raw materials and product components. Any inability or unwillingness of our suppliers to deliver necessary raw materials or product components at timing, prices, quality, and volumes that are acceptable to us could have a material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Fluctuations in the cost of raw materials or product components and supply interruptions or shortages could materially impact our business. The imposition of tariffs and other trade barriers may make it more costly for us to import raw materials and product components for our vehicles. We have experienced and may continue to experience cost fluctuations and disruptions in supply of raw materials and product components that could impact our financial performance. Additionally, we have received claims from our suppliers related to supplier contract changes for which we have incurred payment obligations and may in the future incur additional payment charges. See Note 16 “Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on supplier contingencies. We also must manage the risk of field service actions, including product recalls, with respect to components from suppliers. We continue to work diligently and collaboratively with suppliers to identify and proactively address problems or constraints as quickly as possible.
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• Ability to Grow in New Geographies. We plan to invest in international operations and grow our business outside of our existing operations. We believe we are well-positioned for international expansion within the consumer and commercial vehicle markets. Factors that we believe will aid our successful international growth include: the highly flexible, modular nature of our platforms, which we anticipate will provide us the ability to introduce new vehicle programs and configurations; our digital-first approach, which we anticipate will allow us to expand quickly; and our product development expertise, which we anticipate will enable us to offer significant customization for diverse international markets and demographics.
Our international expansion has significant associated investment requirements, such as capital spending related to infrastructure, including additional manufacturing capacity, delivery, and service operations, charging networks, and personnel. International expansion is also subject to a variety of risks, including local competition, multilingual customer support and servicing, delivery logistics, and compliance with foreign laws and regulations related to vehicle sales, data privacy, financing, taxes, labor and employment, and foreign exchange. Should we be unable to expand internationally, this will limit our ability to successfully scale our business with potential negative consequences for our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
• Ability to Maintain Our Culture, Attract and Retain Talent, and Scale Our Team. We believe our culture has been a key contributor to positive response from our customers, and our mission promotes a sense of greater purpose and fulfillment in our employees. We have invested in building a strong culture and believe it is one of our most important and sustainable sources of competitive advantage. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit personnel, which is critical to our growth, and to effectively pursue our objectives. If we are unable to retain or hire key personnel, our business and competitive position may be harmed resulting in an adverse impact to our prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
• Seasonality. Historically, the automotive industry has experienced higher revenue in the spring and summer months. Additionally, we generally expect delivery volumes of commercial vehicle sales to be less in the winter months as customers shift their focus to making last mile deliveries during holidays rather than incorporating more vehicles into their fleet, which could result in higher finished goods inventory levels during this period. We delivered more EDVs than seasonally typical during the fourth quarter of 2024 and as a result expect to deliver more limited volumes, resulting in higher finished goods inventory, in the first quarter of 2025.
• Government Incentives. There are various government policies, grants, loans, and other incentives, including regulatory credits, designed to increase EV adoption, support the production of EVs and related technologies, and promote the use of alternative fuels, among other objectives. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 offers a tax credit for EV purchases or leases contingent upon pricing limits, customer income limits, and assembly, manufacturing, and sourcing requirements. Additionally, we have entered into a loan facility with the Department of Energy, and an amended agreement with the Economic Development Agreement with the State of Georgia and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper County, Morgan County, Newton County and Walton County to support our manufacturing facility near the city of Social Circle, Georgia (the “Stanton Springs North Facility”), and a REV Tax Credit Agreement with the State of Illinois acting by and through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through which we are eligible for an incentive package to support the renovation and expansion of our Normal Factory. United States federal government incentives are subject to change by the new Congress and presidential administration. Any reduction or elimination of these or other similar incentives, or failure of our vehicles to meet tax credit eligibility requirements, could have a direct impact on demand for our vehicles and a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, we earn tradable credits in the operation of our business under various regulations related to zero emission vehicles, greenhouse gas, fuel economy, renewable energy, and clean fuel. We have contracted and intend to sell these credits to other regulated entities who can use the credits to comply with emission standards, renewable energy procurement standards, and other regulatory requirements. The future of such programs is uncertain at this time. If these regulatory credits become unavailable or change in the future, it could affect our profitability and have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
• Inflation and Interest Rates. The United States economy has experienced elevated inflation in various market segments over the last several years. In order to help slow inflation, the United States Federal Reserve Bank has raised interest rates rapidly and substantially and interest rates have remained relatively elevated. This has impacted vehicle financing affordability to customers and may influence customers’ buying decisions for less expensive
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vehicles, or may cause tightening of lending standards. If we are unable to fully offset higher costs through price increases or other measures, especially during periods of elevated inflation, we could experience an adverse impact to our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Components of Operating Results
We expect to incur significant operating costs and expenses that will impact our future profitability, including raw material procurement costs, servicing and warranty costs as we expand our deliveries, research and development (“R&D”) expenses as we develop and introduce new vehicles, software, and services and improve our existing vehicles and services, additional operating costs and expenses for production ramp-up, selling and distribution expenses as we market our vehicles and services, and general and administrative expenses as we scale our operation, as well as capital expenditures in the expansion of our manufacturing footprint and operations and debt servicing costs. Our ability to become profitable in the future will depend on our ability not only to successfully market and sell our vehicles, software, and services at prices we establish, but also to appropriately control costs and realize economies of scale.
Automotive
Revenues and Cost of revenues
The majority of our Automotive revenues is derived from sales of consumer and commercial electric vehicles, as well as the sale of regulatory credits generated by the production and sale of electric vehicles. The majority of our Automotive cost of revenues is driven by direct materials and labor costs, including stock-based compensation; manufacturing overhead (e.g., depreciation of machinery and tooling); shipping and logistics costs; and reserves, including for estimated warranty costs and adjustments to write down the carrying value of inventory when it exceeds its estimated net realizable value (“NRV”). Automotive cost of revenues benefits from reductions resulting from the generation of manufacturing-related refundable tax credits.
Software and Services
Revenues and Cost of revenues
The majority of our Software and Services revenues is derived from remarketing and vehicle repair and maintenance services, as well as new services provided by the Joint Venture to further develop, customize, and enhance Rivian’s existing vehicle electrical architecture and software technology for use in future vehicle programs. The majority of our Software and Services cost of revenues is driven by direct materials (e.g., remarketing vehicles) and labor costs, including stock-based compensation.
Operating expenses
Research and development
Our Research and development (R&D”) cost consists primarily of expenses incurred for the development of our vehicles and related technologies. These expenses include personnel expenses for teams in engineering and research including stock-based compensation, benefits, and cash incentives, prototyping expenses, consulting and contractor expenses, amortization expenses, data services, including hosting, storage, and compute, and allocation of indirect expenses.
Selling, general, and administrative
Selling, general, and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses consist primarily of personnel costs for employees in our sales, service, facilities, corporate, executive, finance, and other administrative functions, as well as outside professional services, including legal, accounting, and audit services. Personnel costs consist of salaries, wages, bonus and commissions (as applicable), stock-based compensation, benefits, and employment taxes. SG&A expenses also include allocated facilities expenses such as utilities, rent, and depreciation, and other general corporate expenses such as travel, recruiting, and marketing expenses, as well as taxes and insurance.
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Other income (expense), net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of non-operating expenses and income such as interest expense, amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs, and other gains or losses associated with our debt financing arrangements, as well as interest income earned on investments.
Provision for income taxes
Our provision for income taxes consists primarily of income taxes related to foreign jurisdictions in which we do business. We maintain a full valuation allowance on our United States federal and state deferred tax assets as we have concluded that it is more likely than not that the deferred assets will not be utilized.
Results of Operations
The following tables set forth our consolidated results of operations and production and delivery volumes for the periods presented (in millions, except production and delivery volume).
Years Ended December 31,
2022 2023 2024
Automotive $ 1,554 $ 4,132 $ 4,486
Software and services 104 302 484
Total revenues 1,658 4,434 4,970
Automotive 4,666 6,150 5,693
Software and services 115 314 477
Total cost of revenues 4,781 6,464 6,170
Gross profit (3,123) (2,030) (1,200)
Operating expenses
Research and development 1,944 1,995 1,613
Selling, general, and administrative 1,789 1,714 1,876
Total operating expenses 3,733 3,709 3,489
Loss from operations (6,856) (5,739) (4,689)
Interest income 193 522 385
Interest expense (103) (220) (318)
Loss on convertible notes, net — — (112)
Other income (expense), net 18 6 (7)
Loss before income taxes (6,748) (5,431) (4,741)
Provision for income taxes (4) (1) (5)
Net loss (6,752) (5,432) (4,746)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — 1
Net loss attributable to common stockholders $ (6,752) $ (5,432) $ (4,747)
Production volume 24,337 57,232 49,476
Delivery volume 20,332 50,122 51,579
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Automotive
Revenues
Years Ended December 31, 2022 vs 2023 Change 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions, except delivery volume)
2022 2023 2024 $ % $ %
Revenues $ 1,554 $ 4,132 $ 4,486 2,578 166 % 354 9 %
Delivery volume 20,332 50,122 51,579 29,790 147 % 1,457 3 %
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024
Automotive revenues increased primarily due to an increase in deliveries of 1,457 vehicles and an increase in sales of automotive regulatory credits of $252 million.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023
Automotive revenues increased primarily due to an increase in deliveries of 29,790 vehicles, increased average selling prices, and sales of automotive regulatory credits of $73 million.
Cost of revenues and Gross profit
Years Ended December 31, 2022 vs 2023 Change 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions, except production and delivery volume)
2022 2023 2024 $ % $ %
Cost of revenues $ 4,666 $ 6,150 $ 5,693 $ 1,484 32 % $ (457) (7) %
Gross profit $ (3,112) $ (2,018) $ (1,207) $ 1,094 (35) % $ 811 (40) %
Production volume
24,337 57,232 49,476 32,895 135 % (7,756) (14) %
Delivery volume
20,332 50,122 51,579 29,790 147 % 1,457 3 %
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024
For the year ended December 31, 2024, Automotive cost of revenues included $740 million of depreciation and amortization expense. The year-over-year decrease in Automotive cost of revenues was primarily due to reductions in the cost of raw materials and product components, in part driven by the introduction of new vehicle technologies to the R1 platform during the plant retooling upgrade in the second quarter of 2024.
The Company recorded a $107 million net charge to reflect the lower of cost or net realizable value (“LCNRV”) of inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments for the year ended December 31, 2023. Because the $121 million year-over-year decrease in losses on firm purchase commitments exceeded the $66 million LCNRV write-down on the carrying value of inventory as of December 31, 2024, the Company did not have a net non-cash loss for inventory LCNRV write-downs and losses on firm purchase commitments during the year ended December 31, 2024; that is, the net loss for inventory LCNRV write-downs and losses on firm purchase commitments was realized into cash losses (see Note 7 "Inventory" for more information). The decrease in LCNRV write-downs of inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments is primarily due to projected positive-margin variants and an overall decrease in estimated cost of raw materials and product components.
Automotive gross profit losses improved for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to the increase in sales of automotive regulatory credits, the reductions in the cost of raw materials and product components, and the decrease in LCNRV write-downs of inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments noted above. In the near term, we expect Automotive gross profit losses to continue to improve through material cost reductions driven by lower raw material cost,
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engineering design changes, and commercial supplier negotiations, as well as average selling price increases as more premium offerings such as our Quad and Tri motor configurations make up a higher share of our overall sales mix, subject to regulatory or other changes that could negatively impact us. Over the medium to long term, we expect Automotive gross profit to improve through the expected margin profile of our MSP, improved fixed cost per vehicle due to the launch of R2 in our Normal Factory, continued material cost improvements through engineering design changes and commercial supplier negotiations, and increased efficiencies in our conversion activities.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023
Automotive cost of revenues increased as a result of the increase in production and delivery of 32,895 and 29,790 vehicles, respectively. Additionally, depreciation and amortization expense increased by $186 million, partially offset by a decrease in LCNRV write-downs of inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments from $920 million to $107 million.
The decrease in LCNRV write-downs of inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments compared to the previous period is primarily due to a decrease in the cost to manufacture our products as a result of increased vehicle deliveries, lower material costs, and higher estimated selling prices.
Automotive gross profit losses decreased for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to the increase in vehicle production and deliveries, lower material costs, and higher average selling prices noted above.
Software and Services
Revenues
Years Ended December 31, 2022 vs 2023 Change 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions) 2022 2023 2024 $ % $ %
Revenues $ 104 $ 302 $ 484 198 190 % 182 60 %
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024
Software and services revenues increased primarily due to new vehicle electrical architecture and software development services, an increase in vehicle repair and maintenance services, and increased remarketing sales.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023
Software and services revenues increased primarily due to an increase in remarketing sales and increased vehicle repair and maintenance services.
Cost of revenues and Gross profit
Years Ended December 31, 2022 vs 2023 Change 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions) 2022 2023 2024 $ % $ %
Cost of revenues $ 115 $ 314 $ 477 $ 199 173 % $ 163 52 %
Gross profit $ (11) $ (12) $ 7 $ (1) 9 % $ 19 (158) %
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024
For the year ended December 31, 2024, Software and services cost of revenues included $4 million of depreciation and amortization expense. The year-over-year increase in Software and services cost of revenues was primarily due to increased volumes of vehicle repair and maintenance services and remarketing sales, as well as new vehicle electrical architecture and software development services.
Software and servicesgross profit increased for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to new vehicle electrical architecture and software development services. We expect Software and services gross profit to continue increasing over
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time as we continue providing vehicle electrical architecture and software development services and remarketing, as serviced vehicles age out of warranty, and through expansion of our paid software offerings such as Connect+.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023
Software and services cost of revenues increased, primarily due to increased volumes of remarketing sales and vehicle repair and maintenance services. Software and services gross profit remained essentially flat year-over-year as a result of relatively similar increases in revenues and cost of revenues.
Research and development
Years Ended December 31, 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions)
2023 2024 $ %
Research and development $ 1,995 $ 1,613 $ (382) (19) %
For the year ended December 31, 2024, R&D expenses included $74 million of depreciation and amortization expense. R&D expenses decreased year-over-year primarily due to a $154 million decrease in engineering, design, and development costs that were incurred in the prior year in order to introduce new vehicle technologies to the R1 platform, a $69 million decrease in miscellaneous expenses primarily resulting from reductions to the carrying value of long-lived assets that occurred in the prior year, a $48 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense primarily resulting from a decrease in the total amount of accrued stock-based bonus incentives, and a $32 million decrease in payroll and related expenses primarily resulting from reduced headcount.
We plan to continue investing in future vehicle platforms and new in-vehicle technologies as well as furthering vertical integration of manufacturing.
Selling, general, and administrative
Years Ended December 31, 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions)
2023 2024 $ %
Selling, general, and administrative $ 1,714 $ 1,876 $ 162 9 %
For the year ended December 31, 2024, SG&A expenses included $213 million of depreciation and amortization expense. SG&A expenses increased year-over-year primarily due to an $81 million increase in payroll and related expenses predominantly from an increase in personnel at service centers and spaces, a $55 million increase in sales and marketing expenses to support go-to-market operations, and a $46 million increase in utilities and facilities expenses primarily resulting from an increase in rent and repair and maintenance expense for additional Rivian Adventure Network Direct Current fast chargers (“Rivian Adventure Network”) sites and service centers, partially offset by a $58 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense primarily resulting from a decrease in the total amount of accrued stock-based bonus incentives.
We plan to make continued investments in our facilities, go-to-market operations, vehicle repair and maintenance assets, and technology for our future operations.
Other income (expense), net
Years Ended December 31, 2023 vs 2024 Change
(in millions)
2023 2024 $ %
Interest income $ 522 $ 385 $ (137) (26) %
Interest expense $ (220) $ (318) $ (98) 45 %
Loss on convertible notes, net $ — $ (112) $ (112) nm
Other income (expense), net $ 6 $ (7) $ (13) (217) %
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Interest income decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 primarily due to lower average balances of cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Interest expense increased for the year ended December 31, 2024 primarily due to the issuance of the 2029 Green Convertible Notes and 2030 Green Convertible Notes (“Green Convertible Notes”) in 2023. See Note 10 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information.
Loss on convertible notes, net reflects the loss on conversion of the $1,000 million principal amount unsecured convertible promissory note due June 2026 (“2026 Convertible Note”). See Note 10 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information.
Provision for income taxes
As of December 31, 2023 and 2024, the majority of our deferred tax assets were comprised of net operating losses generated primarily in the United States and tax credit carryforwards, and for all periods, net deferred tax assets were fully offset by a valuation allowance.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our operations have been financed primarily through net proceeds from the sale of securities, including in our IPO, and from borrowings. The following table summarizes our liquidity (in millions):
December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024
Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,857 $ 5,294
Short-term investments 1,511 2,406
Availability under ABL Facility 1,100 1,363
Total liquidity $ 10,468 $ 9,063
In September 2023, we entered into an amended Economic Development Agreement with the State of Georgia, and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper County, Morgan County, Newton County and Walton County through which we are eligible for an incentive package valued at up to $1.5 billion including tax credits and exemptions, grants to offset eligible costs of the Stanton Springs North Facility, site development and preparation, and recruitment and job training programs in exchange for our commitment during a specified period ending on December 31, 2047 to (i) create 7,500 new jobs for full-time employees at the Stanton Springs North Facility and (ii) make a minimum capital investment of $5.0 billion in the Stanton Springs North Facility. See Note 9 "Leases" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on the Rental Agreement that was executed in relation to this incentive package.
In May 2024, we entered into a REV Tax Credit Agreement with the State of Illinois acting by and through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in which we agreed to renovate and expand our existing manufacturing operations at our Normal Factory, make capital expenditures of at least $1.5 billion by December 31, 2029, create new full-time jobs, and also to retain a number of existing full-time jobs in Illinois. As consideration for and as a condition to the commitments defined within the agreement, we are eligible for an incentives package valued at up to approximately $0.8 billion, including tax credits and exemptions, and grants to offset eligible costs of the Normal Factory expansion. Tax credits will be eligible for issuance for an initial period of 15 years, with an opportunity for an additional 15-year extension. In October 2024, we received approximately $0.1 billion in connection with this agreement.
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In June 2024, we received $1.0 billion in proceeds from the 2026 Convertible Note, which converted into shares of the Company’s Class A common stock in December 2024. See Note 10 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information. In addition, in November 2024, we received $1.3 billion from Volkswagen International America Inc. and Volkswagen AG and its affiliates (“Volkswagen Group”) for intellectual property licensed to Volkswagen Group, enabling them to benefit from the Company’s existing technologies in conjunction with further development by the Joint Venture (see Note 4 "Revenues" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information). We expect to receive an additional $3.5 billion from Volkswagen Group, comprised of (i) $2.5 billion in equity investments (which may be effected in part with a convertible debt instrument), of which $0.5 billion is recognized as revenue for services provided by the Joint Venture to further develop, customize, and enhance Rivian’s existing vehicle electrical architecture technology and software for use in the customer’s future vehicle programs and (ii) $1.0 billion in the form of a loan to be made available through the Joint Venture as described below; subject to certain conditions, including the achievement of certain milestones and obtaining relevant regulatory clearances. See Note 1 "Presentation and Nature of Operations" and see Note 4 "Revenues" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information.
In conjunction with the formation of the Joint Venture, the Company established Rivian JV SPV, LLC (“Joint Venture Equityholder”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the owner of 50% of the equity interests of the Joint Venture. The Company, together with Joint Venture Equityholder, and Volkswagen Group also entered into Loan Agreements providing for a committed $1.0 billion term loan facility, available to the Joint Venture in a single draw on any business day during the period beginning on October 1, 2026 and ending on October 30, 2026, subject to customary conditions to funding. When and if funded, the proceeds would be concurrently loaned by the Joint Venture to the Joint Venture Equityholder to be used by the Company for general corporate purposes. The Company’s loan would mature on the tenth anniversary of the funding date. Beginning on the third anniversary of the funding date, $100 million of principal would be repaid each year in biannual installments of $50 million, with the balance of the principal amount due on the final maturity date. The loan may be prepaid at any time, in whole or in part, without any prepayment premium or penalty. Interest on the loan will accrue at a fixed rate per annum that is determined at the time of funding. The per annum rate will be equal to (a) the interpolated all-in yield for United States dollar-denominated debt securities of Volkswagen International America, Inc., Volkswagen AG, and their affiliates, having a maturity of seven years on date of determination, plus (b) 25 basis points. Interest on the loan will be paid on a semi-annual basis, except that the first interest payment will be due on the second anniversary of the funding date. See Note 10 “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information.
On January 16, 2025, Rivian New Horizon, LLC (the “Borrower”) and Rivian Automotive, Inc. (the “Sponsor”) entered into a Loan Arrangement and Reimbursement and Sponsor Support Agreement (the “LARSSA”) with the United States DOE, pursuant to which the DOE has agreed to arrange a multi-draw term loan facility, comprised of two tranches, with the first tranche aggregate principal amount of up to approximately $3.4 billion (the “Note A Loan”) and the second tranche aggregate principal amount of up to approximately $2.6 billion (the “Note B Loan”, and together with the Note A Loan, the “DOE Loan”), to be provided by the Federal Financing Bank (“FFB”) to the Borrower under DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program (the “ATVM Program”). The proceeds from advances under the DOE Loan will be used to support the development of the Stanton Springs North Facility, which will be built in two production capacity blocks (the “Project”). The Borrower may request advances under the DOE Loan for purposes of funding certain eligible Project costs, subject to the Borrower’s satisfaction of the conditions under the Loan tranche that is designated for the relevant Block. Such conditions include the Sponsor maintaining positive gross margin for certain periods prior to the first Note A Advance, the Borrower achieving certain vehicle sales metrics prior to the first Note A Advance and first Note B Advance, making of required base equity contributions to fund certain Project costs, the granting to DOE of security over, among other things, Project assets and the execution of related security documents, the Borrower’s entry into agreements necessary for the development, design, engineering, construction and operation of the Project, delivery of a Project execution plan, and a bring-down of representations and warranties. Note A Advances may be requested, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, from January 16, 2025 through April 16, 2031, and the loans comprised of Note A Advances will mature on March 15, 2045 (the “Note A Maturity Date”). The principal amount of the Note A Advances will be payable in quarterly installments commencing on March 15, 2031, through the Note A Maturity Date. Interest payments on the Note A Advances will begin on June 15, 2030, and will be payable quarterly in arrears. Note B Advances may be requested, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, from January 16, 2025 through May 15, 2032, and the loans comprised of Note B Advances will mature on June 15, 2041 (the “Note B Maturity Date”). The principal amount of the Note B Advances will be payable in quarterly installments commencing on June 15, 2032, through the Note B Maturity Date. Interest payments on the Note B Advances will begin on June 15, 2032, and will be payable quarterly in arrears. The interest rate associated with an ATVM Program loan is equal to the United States Treasury-equivalent yield curve with 0% credit spread, set at each advance. Our ability to fund the DOE Loan is contingent on us obtaining the consent of the creditors or terminating, amending or refinancing the credit agreement governing the senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “ABL Facility”) and the indenture governing the senior
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secured floating rate notes due October 2026 (the “2026 Notes”) as the covenants under the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the 2026 Notes currently prevent us from incurring borrowings under the DOE Loan.
We have generated significant losses from operations, as reflected in our accumulated deficit of $18.6 billion and $23.3 billion as of December 31, 2023 and 2024, respectively. Additionally, we have generated significant negative cash flows from operations and investing activities as we continue to support the growth of our business. We anticipate continuing to make significant capital investments over the next several years to focus on ramping up production as we strategically expand infrastructure, including additional manufacturing capacity both domestically and internationally. We also anticipate continuing to make significant investments in future growth initiatives, including vehicle and other technology and software, tooling for current vehicle platforms, future vehicle manufacturing lines, and our service and retail network.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2024, our non-cancellable commitments are disclosed in Note 7 "Inventory" , Note 9 "Leases" , Note 10 “Debt” , and Note 16 "Commitments and Contingencies" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
We believe our existing balance of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, in addition to amounts available for borrowing under the ABL Facility, will be sufficient to meet our operating expenses, working capital, and capital expenditure needs for at least the next 12 months.
Our future operating losses and capital requirements may vary materially from those currently planned and will depend on many factors, including our rate of revenue growth, the timing and extent of spending on R&D efforts and other growth initiatives, the timing, nature, and rate of expansion of manufacturing activities, our ability to drive cost reductions across the business through improved efficiencies, the timing of new products and services, market acceptance of our offerings, and overall economic conditions. Furthermore, we anticipate that future investments may require significant debt and/or equity financing. The sale of additional equity would result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of additional debt would result in debt service obligations, and the instruments governing such debt could provide for operational and/or financial covenants that restrict our operations. There can be no assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital on favorable terms or at all. The inability to raise capital could adversely affect our ability to achieve our business objectives.
Cash Flows
Years Ended December 31,
(in millions) 2022 2023 2024
Net cash used in operating activities (5,052) (4,866) (1,716)
Net cash used in investing activities (1,369) (2,511) (1,980)
Net cash provided by financing activities 99 3,130 1,136
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities decreased during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily resulting from lower inventory balances without the build-up in inventory levels that occurred in the prior year and an increase in deferred revenue predominantly from a payment received for a license of intellectual property related to Rivian’s existing vehicle electrical architecture and software technology (see Note 1 "Presentation an d Nature of Operations" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information), partially offset by lower accounts payable for inventory and lower accrued liabilities for payroll and related expenses, driven by the reduction in accrued stock-based bonus incentives.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities decreased during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily resulting from additional maturities of short-term investments that were not offset by additional purchases. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we continued to invest in the growth of our business at our Normal Factory, our next generation vehicle platforms and technologies, and our go-to-market infrastructure.
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Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 primarily resulted from the issuance of the 2026 Convertible Note.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and the discussion and analysis of our financial condition and operating results require us to make judgments, assumptions, and estimates that affect the amounts reported. We base these estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances and apply judgement to possible outcomes as the basis for amounts reported. Because of the inherent uncertainties involved in making such estimates, actual results may differ, and such differences may be material.
We consider the following policies and estimates critical because they are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and operating results, and they require us to make judgments and estimates about inherently uncertain matters. For further information on all of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
Warranty and Field Service Actions
Estimates related to product warranties are established using actuarial estimates that utilize historical information on the nature, frequency, and average cost of claims for each vehicle cohort as well as assumptions about future activity and events. When little or no claims experience exists for a vehicle cohort, estimates are based on an analysis of actual claims incurred for similar vehicle cohorts or earlier model years, as applicable, as well as adjusted assumptions about future activity and events, which may leverage relevant benchmark data.
At the time of vehicle sale, an accrued liability is recorded for estimated product warranty costs. Separately, we periodically perform field service actions related to safety recalls, emission recalls, and other product campaigns. An accrued liability is recorded for the estimated cost of field service actions when the action has been identified and the related costs are probable of being incurred and estimable. Field service actions may occur in periods beyond the base warranty coverage period. We establish our cost estimates for field service actions using a patterned estimation approach by model year and evaluate our estimates on a regular basis using actual claims experience, adjusting as appropriate. We re-evaluate the adequacy of the warranty reserve on a regular basis and make revisions when appropriate. Due to the uncertainty and potential volatility of the factors used in establishing our estimates, changes in our assumptions could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Should our cost estimates change in the future, such as estimated failure rate or estimated repair or replacement costs, the warranty reserve could increase or decrease. A hypothetical 10% change in estimated failure rates or estimated repair or replacement costs would have resulted in the following approximate changes in the warranty reserve for the year ended December 31, 2024 (in millions):
Decrease in Warranty Reserve Increase in Warranty Reserve
Change in estimated failure rate $ (36) $ 36
Change in estimated repair or replacement costs $ (36) $ 36
See Note 5 “Warranty and Field Service Actions” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for information regarding the warranty reserve.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3 "New Accounting Standards" to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for a description of recently adopted accounting pronouncements and recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted.
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