Rivian Breaks Ground on $5B Georgia Factory Ahead of Construction in 2026

Rivian has officially broken ground on its long-awaited electric vehicle factory near Atlanta, Georgia — a site that could eventually produce up to 400,000 next-generation EVs annually.

A ceremonial event took place on Tuesday, with CEO RJ Scaringe joined by Georgia officials, including Governor Brian Kemp. While construction is not expected to begin until the first quarter of 2026, Rivian has already started preparatory work, such as installing utilities and building access roads. Vehicle production is projected to start in 2028.

The company estimates the facility will create 7,500 permanent jobs once fully operational, along with 2,000 construction jobs during development. As of June 30, Rivian reported 47 full-time hires and roughly $80 million invested in the project. An outside analysis shared Tuesday also suggested the factory could generate nearly 8,000 indirect jobs through local suppliers and vendors. Emails obtained by TechCrunch earlier this year revealed that Rivian has already been in talks with suppliers about relocating near the new site.

A rendering of Rivian’s Georgia factory

Though Tuesday’s event was largely symbolic, it marked an important milestone in a project that has faced years of uncertainty. Rivian first announced plans for the Georgia factory in 2021, shortly after its IPO. At the time, the automaker had just completed refurbishing a former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, where it launched production of the R1T truck, R1S SUV, and electric delivery vans. However, the Illinois plant’s limited capacity meant a larger facility was needed.

Rivian committed $5 billion to the Georgia site and initially aimed to break ground in 2022. But pushback from local communities and pandemic-era supply chain issues forced delays. In March 2024, Rivian announced it was temporarily pausing the Georgia project in favour of expanding its Illinois operations to ensure the timely production of its more affordable R2 SUV.

Momentum picked up again in late 2024 when Rivian secured a $6.6 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to help finance the project. The deal was finalised at the end of President Joe Biden’s first term, though funds will only be released after Rivian meets certain milestones.

In the lead-up to Donald Trump’s second presidency, some political allies questioned the loan, with Vivek Ramaswamy even suggesting it might be targeted for rollback. Despite the political tension, Rivian’s loan remains intact, and the company has been working closely with Georgia officials to keep the project moving forward.

Looking ahead, Rivian has ambitious plans for the new facility. Scaringe told CNBC that by 2028, he hopes the Georgia plant will produce vehicles not only for the U.S. but also for global markets.