Dive Brief:
- Rivian aims to increase initial capacity at its future electric vehicle factory near Social Circle, Georgia by 50%, from 200,000 EVs a year to 300,000, the company announced in an April 30 press release.
- Construction is set to resume this year and is being funded by a $4.5 billion loan commitment by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing for the initial phase aimed at bolstering American manufacturing and construction jobs.
- “We’re very excited to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy to grow our manufacturing footprint in Georgia,” said Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe in a statement. “The thousands of dedicated people who will soon work in our Georgia plant will be instrumental to Rivian’s growth as we scale American manufacturing and work to ensure that the U.S. retains its leadership in innovation and technology.”
Dive Insight:
Rivian said that increasing production capacity at the plant will lead to lower cost per unit and provide significant room for future expansion in phases. As construction resumes this spring, Rivian expects to draw on the DOE loan by early 2027 and start production at the Georgia EV factory in late 2028.
Preparations have already begun for the development of the plant’s stamping press area, which Rivian says is one of the most “capital-intensive and technically demanding projects” from a construction perspective. The work will accelerate this summer, per the release. Rivian said it continues to work with its partners in the communities surrounding the factory site as it transitions to vertical construction.
The construction of Rivian’s Georgia EV factory faced roadblocks, however. In March 2024, Rivian announced it was pausing construction on the facility in order to conserve cash to launch and deliver its new R2 SUV, which the first deliveries begin this spring. At the time, the company said it was moving R2 production to its existing plant in Normal, Illinois, to expedite sales.
Rivian aims to grow its sales volume and ramp up production of the more affordable R2, which starts at $48,490.
In August 2025, Rivian said it was able to get the factory project back on track after it won final approval of a $6.6 billion DOE loan in January of that year. However, the initial loan commitment from the DOE, which was first announced in November 2024, has been revised to up to $4.5 billion, which includes $494 million capitalized interest for the initial phase, per the release. Rivian said the updated loan amount is “better aligned with the updated facility design and roadmap.”
The Georgia plant is also slated to assemble the R2 in late 2028 as part of Uber’s investment in Rivian to supply it with robotaxis. In March, the ride-hailing company announced it would invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian and purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2 SUVs to add to the Uber platform. The deal includes an option for Uber or one of its fleet partners to purchase an additional 40,000 R2s in 2030. Although the deal is still subject to regulatory approval, Uber has committed to an initial $300 million investment in Rivian.
Last July, Rivian announced it was building a new East Coast headquarters in Atlanta to support its operations in the state, including the EV plant.
