Rivian is considering a location in Georgia for a second factory in the United States, Atlanta Journal-Constitution second report.
The automaker is considering a site east of Atlanta on Interstate 20, but negotiations have yet to be finalized, according to the report, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Rivian now owns a former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, that has been converted to produce R1T electric pickup trucks, R1S electric SUVs and electric delivery trucks for Amazon. Car manufacturer confirmed plans for a second factory back in July, with Reuters confirm many states are vying for it.
An earlier report has pointed out that Texas—And Ft. Worthwhile region — has taken the lead. However, the state of Georgia has been actively promoting Rivian for months, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rivian R1S
Officials have been selling state-owned industrial property rights near Savannah to automakers, the paper noted, noting it’s unclear why Rivian might prefer the I-20 site east of Atlanta to the one Savannah point.
Georgia was already home to a Kia assembly plant in West Point near the Alabama border, while one SK Innovation battery pack under construction in Commerce, about 70 miles northeast of Atlanta.
When completed, SK Innovation claims the site will produce batteries for 300,000 EVs per year. It is expected to supply batteries for Volkswagen ID.4 production in Tennessee and Ford F-150 Lightning production in the Detroit area.
In addition to a second assembly plant, Rivian has also hinted at the plan DIY battery in the future — and possibly expanding to Europe, with local production there. Samsung SDI is currently the sole supplier of battery cells to Rivian and is said to be considering a production site near Rivian’s existing Illinois assembly plant.
