This is how the Rivian R3 from the Georgia plant is expected to lookImage: RivianThe California-based Volkswagen partner Rivian already operates a vehicle plant in Normal, Illinois, where it produces the electric delivery van EDV, the R1 models, and, more recently, the mid-sized electric SUV R2. The facility’s current total capacity is 215,000 vehicles per year. Rivian has long planned to build a second vehicle plant in the US state of Georgia near the metropolis of Atlanta. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in September.However, until now, work at the Stanton Springs North site in Georgia has focused solely on site development, infrastructure, and civil engineering, while construction of the buildings themselves has yet to begin. This delay provided Rivian with an opportunity to revise its plans and think bigger: the electric vehicle factory is now set to be designed for an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles instead of the previously planned 200,000.$4.5 billion loan from the Department of EnergyThis expansion is also made possible by a substantial loan from the US Department of Energy. The total loan amounts to $4.5 billion, comprising a credit sum of $4.006 billion and $494 million in capitalised interest, which will only need to be repaid after the construction phase.“We’re very excited to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy to grow our manufacturing footprint in Georgia,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. “R2 dramatically expands our market opportunity. The thousands of dedicated people who will soon work in our Georgia plant will be instrumental to Rivian’s growth as we scale American manufacturing and work to ensure that the U.S. retains its leadership in innovation and technology.”Robotaxi production also planned in GeorgiaThe new Georgia plant will produce not only the R2 but also the upcoming compact SUV R3, which is expected to be even more affordable than the R2 and will also be exported. Additionally, Rivian plans to manufacture 50,000 robotaxis for its new partner and investor, Uber. Production of these models at the plant is scheduled to begin at the end of 2028.Meanwhile, Rivian has also released its quarterly results. Based on the production of 10,236 vehicles and 10,365 customer deliveries, Rivian increased its revenue in the first quarter of 2026 by 11% to $1.38 billion. However, revenue in the automotive segment declined by 2% to $908 million, which Rivian attributes to a $100 million drop in sales of regulatory credits for the automotive industry and a decrease in revenue per unit delivered due to a higher proportion of commercial vehicles. In contrast, the aforementioned vehicle deliveries rose by 20%.VW increases stake furtherOnce again, the software and services segment saw significant growth, increasing by 49% to $473 million. This rise is primarily due to the development partnership with Volkswagen, which, following successful winter tests of its series-oriented zonal architecture, has now invested an additional $1 billion in Rivian as agreed, in the form of equity. As a result, VW’s stake in Rivian has increased from 12.3% to around 16%. This makes VW likely the largest shareholder in Rivian, ahead of its other major partner, Amazon.In the first quarter of 2026, the operating loss amounted to $881 million, compared to $655 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Rivian cites a lower gross margin and higher operating costs as the reasons for this. The net loss was $416 million, compared to $541 million in the previous year’s quarter—a reduction of 23%.rivian.com (new plant), rivian.com (quarterly results), volkswagen-group.com (PDF, p. 3 on VW’s stake)