Although headquartered in Irvine, Rivian’s factory is actually in Normal, Illinois. While this location may seem arbitrary, Rivian chose it because they got a great deal on a former Mitsubishi Motors factory. When Mitsubishi decided to close the plant due to sluggish car sales, Rivian purchased it for a paltry $16 million, then refurbished it to produce its electric vehicles.
Due to the overwhelming demand for Rivian vehicles, the company has plans to build a $5 billion manufacturing plant in Georgia, although the time frame for completion and the specific location have not been finalized.