Rivian to hold groundbreaking ceremony today for $5B Georgia factory

Electric vehicle startup Rivian will hold a ceremony Tuesday to christen the start of construction of its long-delayed $5 billion factory an hour east of Atlanta.

Company executives on Tuesday morning will join government officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp, at the roughly 2,000-acre project site in southern Morgan and Walton counties. While vertical construction isn’t expected to start until next year, the groundbreaking ceremony is a milestone for one of the state’s largest economic development projects.

First announced in late 2021, Rivian initially planned to open it in 2024 before experiencing setbacks that delayed the project. The plant is expected to be built in two phases, have a total manufacturing capacity of 400,000 vehicles and employ 7,500 workers. Vehicles are expected to roll off assembly lines by 2028 upon completion of the first phase.

Rivian leaders have described the factory as a critical step in the company’s efforts to reach a wider consumer base through ramping up production of EVs at lower price points. It’s also been presented as one of the crown jewels of Kemp’s economic agenda and legacy as governor, which has involved heavily courting the EV and battery sectors.