Rivian’s next plant — dubbed ‘Project Tera’ — is currently in the bidding stage.
As it prepares to finally kick off production of an electric van for Amazon and its retail R1T pickup and R1S SUV, EV startup Rivian is looking toward expansion. Next year, the company will break ground on a second manufacturing facility that will also incorporate battery cell production, according to a Reuters report citing four people familiar with the situation.
The sources said Rivian will officially announce the plant by this fall, and is still considering bids from multiple U.S. states for the project. “We look forward to working with a supportive, technology-forward community in order to create a partnership as strong as the one we have in normal,” spokeswoman Amy Mast said. Rivian is currently based in California, while it has other facilities in Michigan, as well as international offices in Canada and the UK.
According to documents Reuters obtained, Tera will begin in spring 2021, a period in which Rivian will inform states of its decision. From there, the company will “mobilize” its resources during the summer, and officially start construction sometime in the fall. However, as with the current production delays, the pandemic may have shifted that time line to some extent. The proposal does not list Rivian by name, though sources said that “Tera” and Rivian are synonymous for understanding the details of this project. Whichever location the company chooses, it will supposedly encompass 2,000 acres for the new site, and will aim to achieve carbon-neutral status as quickly as possible.
The 2022 Rivian R1T and R1S, for their part, should begin deliveries in September, according to CEO RJ Scaringe’s latest update.
