Rivian's Georgia Facility To Be Ready In 2028, EV Exports To Foreign Markets After R2 Production Ramp, Says CFO

Rivian Automotive Inc. RIVN CFO Claire McDonough said on Tuesday that its Georgia facility, where it will manufacture its R2 and R3 vehicles, is slated to come online in 2028.

What Happened: Rivian is currently working on expanding its facility in Normal, Illinois, to start the production of its R2 vehicle in the first half of 2026. Its facility in Georgia will come online later and serve as home to the production of both the R2 and R3, McDonough said.

Rivian was initially looking to start production of its R2 SUV at its new factory in Georgia. However, the company halted construction of the plant in Georgia last year in a bid to cut costs and instead decided to launch R2 at its existing facility.

The decision to launch R2 in Illinois instead of Georgia will enable the vehicle to be launched earlier and save billions in capital until the start of R2 production, the company then said.

The R2 is expected to start at around $45,000 — the same price range as Tesla's best-selling Model Y SUV. The new vehicle will be smaller and less expensive than Rivian’s existing R1 offerings, priced around $70,000, and the company expects it to expand its total addressable market and cater to the demand for cheaper EVs. 

Why It Matters: The company is planning to start deliveries of its R3 crossover after the R2. The crossover is expected to be priced lower than the R2 SUV, but it is unclear whether the R3's price will undercut the Tesla Model 3 or remain within the same range. The company unveiled the R3X, a performance variant of the R3, last year when it unveiled the R2 SUV.

McDonough on Tuesday said that the company will start selling internationally after it has ramped up the production of R2.

“We can’t wait to begin to export R2 globally,” McDonough said in a Q&A session on the company’s Instagram page.

For 2025, however, Rivian expects to deliver between 46,000 and 51,000 vehicles, less than the 51,579 deliveries reported in 2024. The company is planning to shut down its plant in Illinois for about a month in the second half of the year to prepare for the start of R2 production, it said last month.

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