Rivian has announced it will move most of its operations to a new facility in Irvine, California.
A report states that any new programs from the electric car startup will take place in California, in a bid to consolidate the company’s tech resources in a single location. It is understood founder and chief executive RJ Scaringe is behind the move.
Autoline first reported on the news and a Rivian spokesperson later confirmed the report in a statement issued to Autoblog.
Read Also: Battle Of The Electric Trucks – See How The GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck And Rivian R1T Stack Up
“Of Rivian’s 2,300 employees, approximately 1,000 are based in California and 750 in Michigan, and we are consolidating some engineering teams to our locations in California to improve workflows and reduce environmental impact from travel,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve recently completed an expansion at our Michigan location and it will remain an important presence for us. We are also committed to creating a vibrant and inviting manufacturing presence in Normal, Illinois, where all Rivian vehicles will be produced. As we grow, we’ll keep evaluating and evolving our footprint and geography.”
Word of the move comes roughly a month after Rivian signed a pair of new leases for facilities in Irvine, California, totaling more than 250,000 square feet. It is also reported that the company is working on a 190,000 square-foot office in Orange County which could serve at its new headquarters, replacing the current HQ in Plymouth, Michigan.
It remains unclear how the move to California will impact Rivian’s re-furbished factory in Normal, Illinois, which was once owned by Mitsubishi. In January, the carmaker announced a near-$30 million investment at the site.
