Rivian Shares Climb on Unconfirmed Sighting of Walmart-Branded Van

what happened

Rivian Automotive (RIVN) shares gained more than 3% on Tuesday after photos surfaced of a commercial van with Walmart+ branding on a car transporter in Indiana. Stocktwits reported the sighting, citing the EV news site EV, which said the pictures were shared on Reddit forums. The van carries the phrase “Same day. Right to your door” on its rear doors.

Rivian has never named Walmart as a user of its electric vans, and the report said it is unclear whether the vehicle is a pilot, a demo unit or something larger. Amazon remains Rivian's biggest commercial customer: it ordered 100,000 vans in 2019 under a deal that initially limited sales to it. That exclusivity ended in late 2023, and in early 2025 Rivian opened van orders to other buyers, including HelloFresh and AT&T.

Cox Automotive's estimate puts Rivian's U.S. commercial-van sales at 8,469 in Q3 2026, up 221% from a year earlier. Over the first nine months, the company sold about 15,685 units, or 38% of its total sales for the period. The stock had hit a fresh 52-week low the previous day and is down 40% year to date. Ahead of the October 29 earnings report, analysts polled by Fiscal AI expect revenue to rise 28% to $1.99 billion and a loss of $0.56 per share, versus $0.65 a year earlier.

why it matters

The sighting is unverified, so the move reflects hopes rather than a signed contract. Commercial vans are a meaningful share of Rivian's volume, which makes any new fleet client relevant for investors ahead of the October 29 report.

market impact

Rivian shares: hopes for a new fleet client support the stock, though the sighting is unconfirmed

• ▲Rivian shares (RIVN) pressure up — hopes of a new fleet customer, although the sighting is unconfirmed

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