(Reuters) – A fire broke out in a parking lot at Rivian Automotive’s manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois late on Saturday, damaging many of its electric vehicles, the U.S. startup said on Sunday.
There were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation, a company spokesperson told Reuters. The fire occurred in a parking lot on the north side of the four million square meter factory, located 209 km south of Chicago, and the assembly plant was unaffected, the Normal Fire Department said in a statement to Reuters.
Rivian did not confirm the number and type of affected vehicles. Rivian, known for its R1S SUVs and R1T pickups, is expanding the Normal plant to produce its smaller, cheaper R2 SUVs, which are expected to roll out in 2026 and are seen as critical to its success. The company this year closed the factory for three weeks for a major rebuild that is meant to simplify manufacturing and cut costs. The electric car maker makes all of its vehicles at the plant in Normal, with a second assembly plant planned in Georgia. Last week it temporarily halted production of its commercial delivery vans used by retail giant Amazon.com due to a parts shortage but expects to restore any missed production.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy and Urvi Dugar; Editing by Diane Craft)