Rivian’s plant in Normal, Illinois was directly hit by a tornado and sustained damage over the weekend, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. No one was injured, according to Rivian, and personnel are still assessing the extent of the damage.
The tornado, which had an EF-1 intensity rating, hit what Rivian refers to as “Building 2,” where the company manufactures its R2 SUV. Rivian has halted work on the building and expects to begin backing it up sometime this week, according to an email, seen by TechCrunch, that CEO RJ Scaringe sent to staff on Sunday night.
“Thank you to our team members on the ground who sought safe shelter and followed emergency management protocols when tornado warnings sounded,” he wrote. “I’m proud of how everyone came together, not just to follow safety protocols, but to support each other and lead the cleanup and repair efforts with such care and determination.”
Share images online show that a large section of the roof came down inside the facility. The company did not say whether the temporary shutdown will affect the release schedule of the R2, which is supposed to happen in the coming weeks.
The tornado hit a newer part of the plant, which is primarily used for R2 logistics, such as parts deliveries, according to Rivian.
“Once we secure the affected area, we expect to resume operations in Building 2 (specifically for R2) this week,” spokeswoman Marina Hoffman said in an email, adding that operations at other facilities are continuing as planned.
Rivian has many games at launch. The company has invested time, resources and capital over the past five years to reduce vehicle manufacturing costs in its current R1 portfolio. But Rivian still loses money every quarter — in large part, Scaringe says, because the company is investing in infrastructure now that will start paying off when the R2 SUV reaches scale.
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The R2 SUV is supposed to help Rivian stop losing money. The automaker hopes to sell hundreds of thousands of them annually, and it’s off to an extremely hot start for the SUV. The company has estimated it will sell between 20,000 and 25,000 of them by the end of this year. That would make it one of the fastest launches of a new EV in the US, just behind Tesla’s wildly successful Model Y.
Production of the R2 begins at the Normal plant alongside the existing R1 vehicles (and Rivian’s electric delivery truck), though the company is preparing to build an entirely new plant outside of Atlanta, Georgia as well. This plant will be the home of production of the R2 and the upcoming R3 hatchback, which the company revealed as a surprise in March 2024.
Rivian broke ground on the Georgia plant late last year and is supposed to start vertical manufacturing this year. Production is expected to begin in 2028.
