(Reuters) – U.S. startup Rivian Automotive said on Sunday a fire broke out in a parking lot at its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, late on Saturday, damaging a number of its electric vehicles.
A company spokesman told Reuters there were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire was under investigation. The Normal Fire Department said in a statement to Reuters that the blaze started in a parking lot north of the 4-million-square-foot plant, 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of Chicago, and that the assembly plant was not affected.
Rivian did not disclose how many or what types of vehicles would be affected. Known for its R1S SUV and R1T pickup, Rivian is expanding its Normal plant to make the smaller, cheaper R2 SUV, due for release in 2026 and seen as key to its success. The company closed the plant for three weeks this year for a major retooling aimed at streamlining production and cutting costs. The electric vehicle maker builds all of its vehicles at its Normal plant and is planning a second assembly plant in Georgia. Last week, it temporarily halted production of commercial delivery vans used by retail giant Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:) due to parts shortages, but expects to recover all production shortfalls.
