Rivian Electric Trucks said construction on its Georgia factory will begin in 2024

Rivian Automotive stated that it will begin construction on a facility in Georgia early next year. The news came as the California-based electric truck firm opened a retail facility in an in-town Atlanta development, the eighth in a network of “spaces” that the company is rolling out in select cities around the country. In the next months, the company intends to open other facilities in Colorado, Texas, and California. Customers cannot purchase a truck or SUV at Rivian’s Atlanta store since the company solely sells online in order to avoid Georgia’s rules requiring automakers to have dealers. However, the business expects that visitors who have already reserved a Rivian vehicle or are considering purchasing one would swing by to learn more about electric vehicles, jump inside, have a test drive and perhaps purchase a Rivian-branded jacket or backpack.

“We sell a physical product, so people want to experience it physically,” said Denise Cherry, senior director of design and retail development at Rivian. “That’s human nature.”Rivian presently manufactures the R1T pickup vehicle and R1S SUV in Normal, Illinois. The autos are currently more than $70,000 each. It intends to build a $5 billion manufacturing complex east of Atlanta, where it will make R2 vehicles with reduced price tags aimed at the mass market. The company expects to hire 7,500 people at the site near Social Circle, where dirt grading is expected to be completed by the end of the year. “We are thrilled with the progress we’ve gotten so far,” Cherry said in a statement. “I mean, we are this close to finishing grading.” The first phase of Rivian’s factory is expected to produce 200,000 automobiles per year, beginning in 2024, with a second phase capable of producing another 200,000 per year expected to be completed by 2030. Rivian officials stated Thursday that the R2’s design will be shown next year.