Rivian is growing its manufacturing site in Normal, Illinois, to prepare for production of its new R2 electric SUV, which is expected to launch in 2026.
The company is adding a 1.1 million square-foot building to its existing 4.3 million square-foot facility, which already produces the R1 series and electric delivery vans. Once the expansion is done, Rivian says the plant will be able to produce up to 215,000 vehicles a year.
Construction is moving ahead despite winter weather. The new building will handle the R2’s body assembly, general assembly, and final checks. Other areas being added will support painting, battery work, and parts movement.
“We’re ahead of schedule on some parts,” said Tony Sanger, VP of Production Facilities. “The walls and steel framework for the main new building are nearly done, and we’re getting close to finishing the roof.”
To speed things up, Rivian has been using prefabricated materials, which helps reduce time spent building on site. The company also redesigned the layout to improve efficiency. For example, parts painting will be moved out of the main paint shop to a separate area, making the overall process faster.
Rivian also built a new high-speed test track to replace the old one, which had to be removed to make space for the expansion.
According to Sanger, moving quickly with construction is key: “The faster we finish the buildings, the sooner our teams can start installing equipment—and that means getting R2 vehicles into customers’ hands sooner.”
Rivian’s Q4 and full-year 2024 earnings, released February 20, 2025, showed revenue of $1.73 billion for Q4—topping the $1.4 billion expected—driven by 14,183 vehicle deliveries and $299 million in regulatory credits, yielding its first gross profit of $170 million, though a $743 million net loss persisted (down from $1.5 billion in Q4 2023).
Full-year revenue hit $5.013 billion with 51,579 deliveries, meeting the 50,500-52,000 target, but growth stalled from 2023’s 50,122, and the annual net loss was $4.75 billion (improved from $5.43 billion), with a negative $7 million automotive gross profit.
For 2025, Rivian projects 46,000-51,000 deliveries, a modest gross profit, and a $1.7-$1.9 billion EBITDA loss, supported by $7.7 billion in cash and a Volkswagen deal worth up to $5.8 billion.
