On July 23, 2021, Rivian confirmed it was looking for a location for its second factory. Named Project Tera, it would have to have a production capacity of at least 180,000 cars to meet Rivian’s ambition of manufacturing 300,000 cars per year as soon as possible. Rumors said the new factory would be in Forth Worth, Texas, but a new report stated it would be in Georgia and revealed next week. It seems Rivian decided to anticipate the announcement.
According to the Associated Press, sources close to the matter said that Rivian would tell the world its new factory will be in Georgia on December 16. That means it will happen in a few hours. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the first to break the news about Georgia being the chosen state for the new factory. It said it would produce 200,000 cars per year and employ up to 8,000 workers. Associated Press heard a slightly different story. According to its sources, the factory to be built at the East Atlanta Megasite will hire up to 7,500 workers, but Rivian may expand that number to about 10,000 if necessary. The EV startup will invest $5 billion in the area not only to produce cars but also batteries and battery packs in the same factory. If Rivian confirms this, it will still have to decide where it will have its European plant. The UK seemed to have the best chances to get the investment and critics say that Boris Johson will do whatever he can to attract Rivian. That would help him ease the political scandal he’s currently facing due to a Christmas party that should not have happened. Apart from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands also want Rivian with them.
Currently producing only the R1T, Rivian will have to announce new models to keep its Georgia plant busy. As attractive as its electric pickup truck is, it should not sell that many units starting at $70,000 a pop. The question is what Rivian will produce in Georgia to reach its 200,000 units per year goal.
Keyword: Rivian Would Announce Georgia Factory on December 16