Rivian sacrifices 2027 profit goal to push deeper into autonomy

Rivian has announced it will no longer meet its previously anticipated goal of achieving positive EBITDA by 2027, primarily due to increased spending on developing autonomous driving technology. The company expects rising R&D costs to delay profitability beyond next year, despite earlier projections tied to launching its R2 SUV and growing software revenue. Additional financial pressures include the discontinuation of the federal EV tax credit, reduced ability to sell regulatory credits, and increased costs from tariffs. Rivian reported cumulative net losses of $27 billion from 2009 through 2025, with autonomy development now representing its largest expenditure, rising from $1.6 billion in 2024 to $1.7 billion in 2025. Rivian is heavily investing in self-driving technology, developing its own large driving model, custom processors, and an autonomy computer, aiming to introduce eyes-off, hands-off driving next year and achieve “personal L4” autonomous capabilities. This push was highlighted at its December 2025 “Autonomy