(Reuters) – A fire broke out in the parking lot of Rivian Automotive’s factory in Normal, Illinois, on Saturday night, damaging many electric vehicles, the U.S. startup said on Sunday.
No injuries were reported and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, a company spokesman told Reuters. The fire broke out in a parking lot north of the 4 million-square-foot plant, located 130 miles (209 km) south of Chicago, and the assembly plant was not affected, the Normal Fire Department said in a statement to Reuters.
Rivian has not confirmed the number or type of vehicles affected. Rivian, known for its R1S SUV and R1T pickup, is expanding its Normal plant to produce its smaller, less expensive R2 SUVs, which are expected to launch in 2026 and are seen as critical to its success. The company shut down the plant for three weeks earlier this year for a major retooling to streamline manufacturing and cut costs. The electric vehicle maker produces all of its vehicles at the Normal plant, with a second assembly plant planned in Georgia. Last week, it temporarily suspended production of its commercial delivery vans used by retail giant Amazon.com due to a parts shortage, but hopes to recover all of the lost production.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy and Urvi Dugar; Editing by Diane Craft)
