Rivian Automotive Inc. is investing $120 million in a new supplier park in Illinois
, another win for Governor JB Pritzker after the company announced a $1.5 billion plan to expand its plant in the state.
The 1.2 million-square-foot park in Normal will allow the electric-vehicle m
aker to increase production at its plant in 2026, when it starts building its R2 model, said Chief Executive Officer RJ S
caringe. The park, which will create almost 100 direct jobs, will be used to co-locate companies that produce parts for Rivian.
Pritzker is trying to promote Illinois as hub for new technologies including quantum computing, batteries and EVs. Rivian last
year paused plans on a new Georgia facility, shifting planned production of its upcoming R2 vehicle to Illinois, a move the com
pany said it would get the SUV to market faster and save more than $2.25 billion.
The announcement comes as domestic manufacturers have been trying to bolster their supply chains as President Donald Tru
mp’s trade policy has left many unsure of how to source raw materials and produ
ction equipment. That includes Rivian, which quietly began stockpiling electric vehicle batteries from Asia ahead of the tariffs, Bloomberg reported last week.
Pritzker, the billionaire two-term Democratic governor who is one of Trump’s most vocal critics, said the investment is about
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creating a broader electric vehicle ecosystem in Illinois and that the company’s investment will “attract suppliers from across the globe to invest in Illinois.”
Rivian will get $16 million in state incentives for the supplier park, which
includes a $5 million tax benefit over 20 years, as well as a capital grant.
The company, which also plans to eventually produce R2 and a future vehicle
called R3 in Georgia, won approval for a $6.6 billion loan from the Department of Energy to support construction of the facility earlier this year, just as President Joe Biden was leaving office.