EVwire brief: Rivian is increasing planned production capacity at its Georgia plant to 300,000 vehicles annually, a 50% increase from its original 200,000-unit target. The update is aimed at lowering cost per unit and supporting future expansion as Rivian scales its next-generation R2 platform.
The project is backed by an updated U.S. Department of Energy loan of up to $4.5 billion, with Rivian expecting to begin drawing funds in early 2027. Construction is set to begin in 2026, with vehicle production targeted for late 2028.
CEO RJ Scaringe shared a comment about the update:
“We’re very excited to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy to grow our manufacturing footprint in Georgia… R2 dramatically expands our market opportunity.”
Context:
As noted in a press release, Rivian’s updated DOE loan totals up to $4.5 billion, including $4,006 million in principal and $494 million in capitalized interest.
The company is preparing to transition into vertical construction, with work underway on key areas such as the stamping press section. Activity in the Georgia site is expected to accelerate through 2026 as primary buildings begin to take shape.
The Rivian R2 will start production at the Normal, Il plant
The Georgia facility will also support new programs beyond core vehicle production. Rivian has previously stated that it plans to build up to 50,000 vehicles at the Georgia plant for its robotaxi partnership with Uber starting in late 2028.
We reported on Rivian and Uber’s deal, which involves the deployment of R2 robotaxis, last month. You can check out the article here:
The R2 program anchors Rivian’s capacity expansion
Rivian’s updated capacity plan ties directly to its R2 production strategy. At its 2024 Investor Day, the company outlined current manufacturing capacity of up to 215,000 units annually at the Normal, Il plant, with roughly 155,000 units allocated to the R2.
The Georgia plant is expected to expand that footprint significantly. Rivian estimates the site’s two production lines could support up to 400,000 vehicles annually across two production lines. The lines will be manufacturing the R2, R3, and R3X.
Rivian’s original plans for R2 production from its 2024 Investor Day event
The recent update might pave the way for the Georgia plant’s output to be higher than the originally planned 400,000 vehicles annually, since one line will already be upgraded to a capacity of 300,000 units per year.
The company has already begun ramping R2 production, including the addition of a night shift, as it moves toward higher output.
Source: Rivian
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