--- title: "Rivian Sales Are Riding High. Now Comes the Hard Part: TDS" date: "2026-10-06" modified: "2026-10-06" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-sales-are-riding-high-now-comes-the-hard-part-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "Rivian" --- # Rivian Sales Are Riding High. Now Comes the Hard Part: TDS ![Rivian R2 front three quarters]() *\Rivian\* Welcome to [The Downshift](), a daily sweep of the morning’s top headlines from the auto industry and car culture, curated by *The Drive’s* editorial team. Each story gets a short summary and a link to the original source if you want to dive deeper. Here’s what’s cooking on the morning of Tuesday, October 6, 2026: 📈 Rivian enjoyed a very strong third quarter, delivering 19,248 vehicles from the July-through-September period. That's due in part to the long-awaited R2, which is bringing more price-conscious buyers into the brand, and it's handily better than the 18,000 units that Wall Street wanted to see. However, to meet the company's own goal of between 65,000 and 75,000 cars for the whole of 2026, it needs to finish very strong and move around 23,000 SUVs and trucks before New Year's Day. And, despite this good news, the EV maker's shares *still* slid by 2% after the announcement, supposedly because investors hoped RJ and company would bump their full-year sales guidance again, as they had back in the summer. You can never do enough for these folks. *\[[CBT News](), [Reuters]()\]* 🚙 Ford says the Bronco RTR will have "a starting MSRP just over $50,000." Much like the RTR Mustang, the goal here is to pack in all the performance goodies enthusiasts want, but paired with a smaller engine to keep prices down. Considering the full-fat Bronco Raptor runs $80,000, it seems as though the automaker has succeeded on that front. *\[[Ford]()\]* 🏭 As expected, General Motors has suspended Blazer production at its Ramos Arizpe, Mexico plant, to bring manufacturing over to Spring Hill, Tennessee. Assembly isn't expected to be back online at the new location until the second quarter of next year. *\[[GM Authority]()\]* 🚐 Renault has revealed a new electric Espace van concept, and although we'll never see it this side of the pond, it looks like it'll fit right in next to the Twingo and reborn 5 hatch. Just days ago, the company's CEO said that it will be investing over $10 billion into EV production in France, and this is further proof of that ambition. *\[[Autocar]()\]* 🔩 Good news! Nissan has opened its first Nismo Performance Center outside Japan, where Skyline GT-R and retro Z owners can bring their vehicles and enlist the services of the company's master techs and fabricators for everything from restoration to maintenance, or just swing by to pick up some genuine Nismo parts. Here's the less-good news: It's in Australia. The silver lining here is that the company [did tell us some months back]() that American enthusiasts won't be left out in the lurch for long, though. *\[[CarBuzz]()\]* 🐆 The production version of the Jaguar Type 01 will be revealed tonight in New York City. That said, if you search the web, you might be able to find some photos of it already, because it purportedly leaked ahead of the launch. *\[[Autocar]()\]* *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()