Rivian Plans to Launch First Model Under $50,000 in 2026

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

RIVN+0.61%

Source: NASDAQ.COM

Updated: 6d ago

0mins

Source: NASDAQ.COM

Strong Market Performance: Rivian's stock has surged nearly 70% in 2025, with most gains occurring in the past two months, reflecting strong market confidence in its future potential.
New Model Launch: Rivian is expected to begin production of the R2 model, priced under $50,000, in early 2026, which will make its electric vehicles accessible to tens of millions of new buyers, significantly expanding its market share.
Profitability Improvement: The design of the new models will create manufacturing efficiencies, and while net profits may not be realized in the 2026 fiscal year, they will lay the groundwork for future financial sustainability.
Capital Needs Eased: A multibillion-dollar agreement with Volkswagen alleviates capital pressures, and the market's recognition of Rivian's potential as an AI stock will facilitate future fundraising, enhancing the company's competitive position.

RIVN

$19.71+Infinity%1D

Analyst Views on RIVN

Wall Street analysts forecast RIVN stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for RIVN is 13.98 USD with a low forecast of 7.55 USD and a high forecast of 25.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

18 Analyst Rating

5 Buy

8 Hold

5 Sell

Hold

Current: 19.590

Low

7.55

Averages

13.98

High

25.00

Current: 19.590

Low

7.55

Averages

13.98

High

25.00

Wedbush

Daniel Ives

Outperform

maintain

$16 -> $25

2025-12-19

Reason

Wedbush

Daniel Ives

Price Target

$16 -> $25

2025-12-19

maintain

Outperform

Reason

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives raised the firm's price target on Rivian to $25 from $16 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm believes 2026 represents a significant year for the company with the launch of R2 in the first half of 2026 expected to drive improving delivery metrics and improvements to its autonomy roadmap to tap into alternative revenue sources while strategically managing its cost structure given rising tariff risks and investments in its business.

Baird

Neutral -> Outperform

upgrade

$14 -> $25

2025-12-18

Reason

Baird

Price Target

$14 -> $25

2025-12-18

upgrade

Neutral -> Outperform

Reason

Baird upgraded Rivian to Outperform from Neutral with a price target of $25, up from $14. The firm says 2026 is the year of the R2 launch. The launch should boost for Rivian's brand, product demand, and the shares as deliveries begin near mid- year, the analyst tells investors in a research note. In addition, Baird says the company's recent autonomy day was highlighted by the unveiling of custom chips, which is a positive for Rivian's long-term competitiveness. The firm wants to own the stock into the new product cycle of launching the R2.

Needham

Buy

maintain

$14 -> $23

2025-12-12

Reason

Needham

Price Target

$14 -> $23

2025-12-12

maintain

Buy

Reason

Needham raised the firm's price target on Rivian to $23 from $14 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares after the company's AI & Autonomy Day. The event increases the firm's confidence in Rivian positioning as software defined vehicles increasingly become industry table stakes, with Rivian's vertical integration allowing for fuller control driving faster learning and feature iterations across driver interface and autonomy technology, underpinning the company's "durable competitive advantage", the analyst tells investors in a research note.

Goldman Sachs

Neutral

maintain

$13 -> $16

2025-12-12

Reason

Goldman Sachs

Price Target

$13 -> $16

2025-12-12

maintain

Neutral

Reason

Goldman Sachs raised the firm's price target on Rivian to $16 from $13 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. Rivian's Autonomy & AI Day outlined a vertically integrated hardware-software strategy, including a new in-house compute platform, a staged autonomy roadmap beginning in 2026, and a paid Autonomy+ service model, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The event underscored how Rivian views the vehicle as a platform for high-margin software, with future opportunities in advanced autonomy, third-party integrations, and potentially broader licensing, the firm says.

About RIVN

Rivian Automotive, Inc. is an automotive manufacturer, which is engaged in developing and building category-defining electric vehicles (EVs) and accessories, as well as software and services that address the entire lifecycle of the vehicle. The Company’s R1 platform consists of two vehicles: the R1T, a two-row five-passenger pickup truck, and the R1S, a three-row seven-passenger sport utility vehicle (SUV). In the commercial market, the Company offers a Rivian Commercial Vehicle (RCV) platform. The vehicle on this platform is the Electric Delivery Van (EDV), designed and engineered by Rivian in collaboration with Amazon. The Company also offers FleetOS, its proprietary, end-to-end centralized fleet management subscription platform. It also offers a variety of services, including vehicle repair and maintenance, financing, insurance, software subscriptions and FleetOS solutions. Its value-added services include vehicle electrical architecture and software development services, and more.

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.