Rivian Plans To Build Second EV Factory In US

Amazon-backed electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has announced its plan to build a second factory in the US and may make battery cells as well EVs at the new plant.

Rivian spokesperson Amy Mast said in an emailed statement that the company is "exploring locations for a second US manufacturing facility,"

“We look forward to working with a supportive, technology-forward community in order to create a partnership as strong as the one we have with Normal, Illinois.”

The automaker has raised more than $8 billion from a diverse set of backers that includes Ford, Cox Automotive, T. Rowe Price Associates Inc., Fidelity Management and Research Company, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Coatue and D1 Capital Partners. That capital will be needed to keep its 7,000-person workforce running and while building an assembly factory, a project that will cost at least $1 billion if it follows industry estimates, according to TechCrunch.

The construction of an additional factory will enable Rivian to increase capacity, have a 50 gigawatt-hour battery cell production line, and the location may also feature a product and technology center according to the report.

Meanwhile, Rivian reportedly has a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions at the plant as swiftly as possible.

Some days ago, Rivian has delayed the initial shipment of the RIT pickup by a couple of months to September and the R1S SUV to the fall. It blamed the effects of COVID-19 as a major factor. The pandemic also resulted in a shift in the timeline for the second factory, according to Reuters.