On Saturday night, a fire broke out at Rivian Automotive's Normal, Illinois plant, resulting in multiple electric vehicles being damaged. The blaze was first reported around 9:45 p.m., where flames and smoke were seen emanating from at least one vehicle in a parking lot designated for the automaker's lineup, including the R1S SUVs and R1T pickups. According to NBC Chicago, an unspecified number of vehicles were compromised due to the incident.
Notably, no injuries were reported. "The fire was at a parking lot on the north side of the 4-million-square-foot factory, located 130 miles south of Chicago, and the assembly plant was unaffected," said the Normal Fire Department, as per Auto News.
Earlier this year, the company underwent a three-week shutdown for major retooling at the Normal plant. Expansions at the facility are also in motion to accommodate the production of the anticipated R2 SUV models, slated for a 2026 release, as reported by Auto News.
