Rivian’s factory hit by tornado ahead of R2 launch

Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois was directly hit by a tornado and sustained damage over the weekend, the company has confirmed to TechCrunch. Nobody was injured, according to Rivian, and staff 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 makes its R2 SUV. Rivian has paused operations in the building and expects to start back up sometime this week, according to an email, viewed by TechCrunch, that CEO RJ Scaringe sent to staff on Sunday night.

“Thank you to our team members on site who sought safe shelter and followed our emergency management protocols when the tornado alarms sounded,” he wrote. “I am proud of how everyone came together, not just to follow safety protocols, but to support one another and lead the cleanup and repair efforts with such care and determination.”

Pictures shared online show that a large section of the roof came down inside the facility. The company didn’t say whether the temporary shutdown will affect the timing of the rollout of the R2, which is supposed to happen in the coming weeks.

The tornado hit a newer part of the factory, primarily used for R2 logistics such as deliveries of parts, according to Rivian.

“Once we secure the impacted area, we anticipate resuming operations in Building 2 (specifically for R2) this week,” spokesperson Marina Hoffmann said in an email, adding that operations at other facilities continue as planned.

Rivian has a lot riding on the launch. The company has invested time, resources and capital over the last five years to reduce the cost of manufacturing vehicles in its current R1 portfolio. But Rivian still loses money every quarter — in large part, according to Scaringe, because the company is investing in infrastructure now that will start to pay off when the R2 SUV reaches scale.

The R2 SUV is supposed to help Rivian stop losing money. The automaker hopes to sell hundreds of thousands of them per year, and it’s banking on an extremely hot start for the SUV. The company has estimated that 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 U.S. ever, just behind Tesla’s extremely successful Model Y.

Production of the R2 is starting out at the Normal plant alongside the existing R1 vehicles (and Rivian’s electric delivery van), though the company is getting ready to build an entirely new factory outside of Atlanta, Georgia as well. That factory will be home to production of the R2 and the forthcoming R3 hatchback, which the company surprise-revealed in March 2024.

Rivian broke ground on the Georgia factory late last year and is supposed to start vertical construction this year. Production is expected to begin in 2028.