If electric vehicle (EV) sales continue at the current trajectory, by 2030 nearly 30 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. will be electric. This new normal however requires an uptick in domestic manufacturing facilities. Toward that end, the EV company Rivian has plans for a new, state-of-the-art EV manufacturing center in Stanton Springs, Georgia. Rivian has tapped full service real estate development, architecture, engineering, and construction firm Clayco for the project. SOM will serve as design architect and Jacobs as the engineer of record.
Rivian announced the facility will be situated across an 1,800-acre complex. Preliminary, conceptual renderings of the project show several low-lying warehouse-like structures sprawling across a verdant site abutting I-20. Diagrams point out the uses of each facility, among this vehicle assembly, painting, stamping, drive units, and body and battery work. Also on the site will be offices and a vast parking lot for staff.
In a press release announcing the plant, Clayco said, “efficiency and sustainability will be key tenants of the plant’s construction and operations.”
“We have an ambitious goal to develop an eco-conscious facility that illustrates our mission of keeping the world adventurous forever,” added Tony Sanger, vice president of facilities at Rivian.
Those involved with the project estimate the plant will create 7,500 job opportunities. The area, just east of Atlanta, is already a hub for technology and bio-related industries, housing several data centers and biosciences facilities.
In addition to the plant’s construction, Rivian has also promised to invest in charging infrastructure in the area, another crucial component to the proliferation of electric vehicle usage. According to a press release, charging stations will be opened in Georgia State Parks and other public spaces across the state to meet the anticipated demand.
Project completion and the start of vehicle production is slated for 2026.
