(Reuters) – A fire broke out in a parking lot at Rivian Automotive's manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, on Saturday evening, damaging many of the company's electric vehicles, the U.S. startup said on Sunday.
There were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire was under investigation, a company spokesman told Reuters. The fire was in a parking lot on the north side of the 4-million-square-foot plant, located 130 miles (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 vehicles affected. Rivian, known for its R1S SUVs and R1T pickup trucks, is expanding its Normal plant to produce its smaller, cheaper R2 SUVs, expected to launch in 2026 and seen as critical to its success. The company closed the plant for three weeks this year for a major overhaul aimed at simplifying production and cutting costs. The EV 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 vans used by retail giant Amazon.com due to a parts shortage, but expects to make up for all the missed production.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy and Urvi Dugar; Editing by Diane Craft)
