Rivian’s once-promising R1T pickup has hit a major speed bump. Despite being first to market with a fully electric truck, the company is now trailing far behind Ford and General Motors as mainstream automakers take control of the electric pickup market.
Through the first nine months of 2025, Rivian has sold just 5,857 R1T trucks a 32 percent drop from the same period last year. Its Q3 total of 2,378 units marked a slight rebound, but far below expectations. By contrast, Ford moved over 23,000 F-150 Lightnings, maintaining its spot at the top of the EV pickup leaderboard. GM’s combined GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV tally reached over 22,000 units, easily eclipsing Rivian’s output. Even the newly launched GMC Sierra EV has edged past the R1T.
It’s a tough reality for Rivian, which continues to struggle with supply bottlenecks and persistent losses averaging more than thirty thousand dollars per vehicle. The company’s upcoming R2 model, priced around forty five thousand dollars, is hoped to reverse the slide when production starts next year at its Illinois plant. A new factory in Georgia is underway but won’t be operational until 2028.
Meanwhile, the American appetite for electric trucks appears mixed. EV pickup sales are growing modestly, but they still represent a niche fraction of the total market. Ford’s gas-powered F-Series lineup, for example, continues to move more than six hundred thousand units annually dwarfing sales of any electric truck.
Analysts see Ford and GM’s dominance as a sign that brand familiarity, dealership networks, and fleet relationships matter more than early-mover advantage. Rivian may have pioneered the concept of an adventure-ready electric pickup, but for now, Detroit’s giants are the ones cashing in on it.