Rivian to Shut Down Normal Factory for Three Weeks to Prepare for R2

Rivian is about to hit pause in Normal, Illinois. According to Chris Hilbert on Twitter, the factory will shut down starting September 15 for a three-week retool, with production expected to restart in early October.

We reached out to Rivian for confirmation, and while they didn’t share much beyond what’s already out there, they did send us this short statement:

“We have a three week shutdown to retool in preparation for building R2 next year. We look forward to sharing more on R2 soon!”

This is a big step. Retooling a plant isn’t small work, but it’s exactly what needs to happen before R2 production kicks off next year.

For fans, this is one of those moments where R2 starts to feel real. The factory is being reshaped around it, and with the way Rivian worded their statement, it sounds like more R2 news is just around the corner, maybe even the online configurator.