Rivian agrees to maintain the security of the Georgia factory site while complying with government requirements

In March, Rivian shut down the factory ahead of the start of vertical construction. Rivian also said it would move initial production of the new R2 electric ferry it planned to build in Georgia to its plant in Illinois. The move was made to bring a low-cost EV to market quickly and cut more than $2.2 billion in costs.

“These planning changes will require Rivian to quickly address issues related to site conditions, site safety, and post-construction stormwater and hydrology, among other issues,†state attorneys and the Jasper Joint Development Authority, Morgan, Newton and Walton Counties, wrote in a letter dated March 22. The letters were first reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

In a statement and documents sent Friday to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rivian said it is “committed to bringing this project to life and fulfilling its obligations to the state and people of Georgia.

That includes “strategic site development activities†the company said that “will allow us to quickly transition to vertical construction when the time comes.â€

In a letter to the government and JDA written on Thursday, Rivian Chief Policy Officer Alan Hoffman said “the depth and breadth of this work has yet to be determined.

Rivian has said Georgia remains important to the company’s future and expects to begin vertical construction “as soon as we finish ramping up initial R2 production″ in Illinois. A specific start date has not been announced, but the company has said it expects to begin shipping the R2 in 2026.

“The overall goal of Rivian is to use the pause to prepare the project to go vertical when the pause is lifted,†Hoffman said in his letter.

In the long term, electrification is seen as the future of the automotive industry. The R2, a low-cost crossover designed to appeal to the mass market, is also important to Rivian’s future. But the industry has faced demand cuts in recent quarters and a number of major players, including Rivian and rival Tesla, have cut jobs and made other strategic changes to weather the storm.

Hoffman said that the security of the site is “of the utmost importance” and the company is developing security policies. Rivian will have the site fenced and access controlled and its construction company, Clayco, will remain the operator of the site and “maintain a constant presence.

Hoffman said Rivian will honor the commitments it made under its lease and other agreements, including stormwater management and stabilization of the property’s landmarked areas. Those commitments include compliance with state and federal environmental regulations.

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

State and local leaders offered Rivian a package of land incentives, tax breaks, loans and other incentives worth $1.5 billion in exchange for the company building a factory and hiring 7,500 workers. Most incentives, however, are only available to Rivian if it meets its obligations.

Rivian’s economic development agreement requires the company to meet 80 percent of its promised employment and investment targets by the end of 2030 and maintain those targets until 2049. Otherwise, they will be subject to clawback measures.

In a statement sent to the AJC, Hoffman said “these decisive steps demonstrate our commitment to the state and people of Georgia as we look forward to the construction of our future facility in Stanton Springs North.

Cox Enterprises, which owns AJC, also owns about 3 percent of Rivian’s stock.