Construction will start in Summer 2022 with capacity for up to 400,000 next-generation EVs.
Rivian officially announced its second manufacturing plant for its future generation of electric vehicles, which will be built in the state of Georgia (as rumored) – east of Atlanta, in Morgan and Walton Counties.
The construction of the $5 billion plant on an almost 2,000-acre parcel will start in Summer 2022, so the EV production would start in 2024. Rivian notes that this is the largest economic development deal in Georgia’s history.
The production volume of the plant will be up to 400,000 per year, with the potential of co-located battery cell production.
“The plant, which will eventually employ more than 7,500 workers, represents a key next step as Rivian scales aggressively toward higher-capacity production for our future generation of products. Once ramped, the Georgia facility will be capable of producing up to 400,000 vehicles per year. Construction on the facility is expected to begin in summer 2022, and the start of production is slated for 2024.”
The company announced that also its existing manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois is envisioned for an upgrade so it would be able to produce up to 200,000 EVs annually (R1 and RCV platforms). That’s up from 150,000 now. The additional 50,000 will be allocated specifically for the R1 production line.
“Rivian is also scaling its capacity at its existing plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian’s Normal plant was recently approved for a 623,000-square-foot expansion, which will bring the total footprint of the Normal plant to approximately 4 million square feet, with further plans to extend warehouse, storage, and production capacity onsite. Rivian’s hiring in Normal is scaling rapidly, with plans to hire an additional 800-1,000 employees in Normal by the second quarter of 2022.”
Let’s recall that the plan is to achieve at least 1 million EVs per year by 2030, which means that at least one more plant must be announced to be theoretically on track (Illinois plus Georgia would be at 600,000 total).
As far as we know, Rivian is in talks with the British government, which would be happy to see some new automotive investments.
Rivian Chief People Officer Helen Russell said:
“We’re happy to partner with Georgia on our new manufacturing site, which will build our next generation of products that are important for scaling our business. Our work together is driven by a compelling purpose and rooted in building a highly collaborative environment that creates a true sense of belonging. We’re excited for Georgians to bring their creativity and ideas to Rivian. We’re confident that, alongside Illinois, Georgia is the place for Rivian to continue to scale and thrive,”.
Keyword: Rivian Officially Announces Second EV Plant In Georgia