Amazon-backed Rivian plans to invest $5 billion initially in its second U.S. electric vehicle assembly plant, according to a company document shared with state economic development officials.
Pinal County officials said they look forward to attracting more green-energy projects in the future, but declined to comment on the possibility of the Rivian plant.
Last week, Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that Rivian planned to build a second U.S. plant that included battery cell production, and that it could be announced in September and break ground next year. Rivian confirmed at the time it was exploring locations to follow its factory in Normal, Illinois, but declined to provide further details.
The second plant will expand the company's capacity and include a 50 gigawatt-hour battery cell production operation built in phases, as well as a product and technology center, according to the revised 12-page request for proposal sent to states. "The company has recognized that future production and product plans will not be fully met by the current capacity at Rivian's Normal, Illinois facility," Rivian said in the document.
In addition to an initial investment of about $5 billion, the plant would "support roughly 10,000+ jobs," according to the document. Companies often include jobs indirectly created by a project in their estimates, economic development officials said.supplies battery cells to Rivian in Illinois.aims to compete when it rolls out its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, as well as a delivery van for Amazon.