- American EV maker, Rivian, has made a significant $119.6 million investment to construct a new ‘supplier park’ in Normal, Illinois, to support its EV supply chain.
- The supplier park is expected to reach completion in 2026, covering a 1.2 million square-foot area next to its existing EV manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois.
- The move comes as Rivian hopes to scale up production in the coming years, with the launch of its R1 and R2 EV models on the horizon.
New Rivian supplier park is under construction
Construction for Rivian’s new supplier park, located next door to the facility which already produces the OEM’s current models, has now begun, and is expected to create around 100 direct jobs. With the new park, Rivian will be able to co-locate suppliers to produce parts for Rivian EVs, bringing its supply chain closer geographically.
The addition of this new facility to Rivian’s portfolio marks part of its wider expansion strategy this decade, which also includes an upcoming EV factory in the state of Georgia, to supplement production at Rivian’s current facility in Normal. By 2027, Rivian also plans to bring selected EVs to Europe, furthering demand for its EV range. And, with the arrival of more electric off road startups, such as Slate and Scout Motors, this further highlights the need for Rivian to increase its levels of vertical integration, as seen with this new geographically strategic supplier park.
The move further cements Illinois’ position as an clean energy leading state within the U.S., with its own programs such as the ‘Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) Illinois Program’, and the state targeting 100% clean energy by 2050.
Rivian Founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe, commented on the development:
“We are excited to see this supplier park coming together so quickly. This will be a key enabler to increasing production at the plant in 2026 when we start to build R2 in addition to R1 and our commercial vans. We are grateful to Governor Pritzker and the state’s partnership, and are looking forward to welcoming suppliers at the new space.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker added:
“In Illinois, we aren’t just making electric vehicles: we are creating an entire ecosystem – attracting investments, bolstering our workforce, and strengthening the EV manufacturing supply chain. Rivian’s investment will attract suppliers from across the globe to invest in Illinois and continue to create good-paying jobs, providing Illinois with the competitive edge to thrive in the clean energy economy.”
