Get Charged Up! New Electric Truck Company May Open Next Plant in Georgia

For the past few weeks, young electric car company Rivian had generated a lot of buzz. With their remarkable stock market debut, highly anticipated first deliveries of their electric truck and more focus on sustainability with the recent COP26 climate change conference, Rivian has shown promise and made waves in various industries. These ripples are even reaching Georgia…

The game-changing new auto company is looking to open their second manufacturing facility, and Georgia is reportedly nearing a deal to host it! For decades, our state has distinguished itself as a business-friendly hub, especially in the automotive, electric vehicle and battery manufacturing sectors. If Georgia lands Rivian’s second manufacturing site, it will mark the state’s first new auto plant since Kia in 2006 and bring a huge boost to these local industries, cementing our state’s bright future in business, sustainability and innovation.

What is Rivian?

Founded in 2009 by CEO RJ Scaringe, the company kept most of their work under wraps for a long time until they began publicizing their electric vehicles in recent years. The company is based in Irvine, California, their first (and currently only) manufacturing plant is in Normal, Illinois and the company name, Rivian, is a play on “Indian River.” Their cars are branded as “Electric Adventure Vehicles” with polished, modern design and rugged versatility. They’re designed for camping trips, cross-country road trips, hefty jobs and everyday life.

Rivian currently offers two models: the electric truck, R1T, and electric SUV, R1S. Both are priced around $70,000-$75,000 and have a range of about 300 miles when fully charged. The company is also building an infrastructure of fast chargers across the country to make cross-country road trips in their vehicles accessible and convenient. Rivian just started their first deliveries of their EVs in September and are expected to fulfill many more in early 2022. 

Rivian aims to compete with other electric vehicle manufacturers like Tesla and distinguish itself with trucks and SUVs in this competitive, much buzzed-about market. The company has major investments from Amazon, Ford, Cox Enterprises and many others. Rivian recently struck a deal with Amazon to produce 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2025.

Possible Manufacturing Plant Coming to Georgia

Rivian is reportedly in final talks to open their next vehicle and battery manufacturing plant in Georgia. The site they’re considering is east of Atlanta, down I-20 and near Covington. Our state has likely helped attract the new EV company through its reputation as a business-friendly environment and by offering major incentives and tax credits. Georgia is also known for boasting a top international airport, major research universities, skilled workforce and extensive transportation network with major rail lines, interstates and bustling seaports.

This new deal with Rivian could bring thousands of jobs and cement Georgia as a powerhouse in the electric vehicle, battery manufacturing, alternative energy and overall automotive industries. The state is already known for its $400 million Kia car manufacturing plant in West Point and $2.6 billion EV battery plant with South Korean tech company SK Battery America located in Commerce. This year, Gov. Brian Kemp gathered private and public sector leaders to form a task force and study methods to expand the state’s battery industry presence.

The size of the investment for this new Rivian plant is unknown, but it would certainly bring incredible benefits for Georgia, as our state officials have aggressively recruited Rivian for months. Texas has reportedly also been in the running for this second Rivian site.

Rivian’s Recent Stock Market Debut

Rivian has recently skyrocketed to the top of stock market discussions due to their fascinating debut. The new EV company began trading on Wednesday, November 10 with an initial public offering over $100 billion, one of the largest IPOs in years. This is an interesting anomaly considering that the company has no revenue yet. But thanks to their major investments from Amazon and Ford and the excitement around the sustainability and electric vehicle sectors, many see promise in Rivian. 

There is still plenty of uncertainty around the company as they have only begun delivering their first vehicles within the past couple months, but there is great potential for Rivian to become a top player in the industry and compete with Tesla. Either way, there is a promising road ahead for electric vehicles and companies that focus on sustainability and innovation to drive a bright future.