- Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, was struck by a tornado.
- The EF1 twister traveled 10.3 miles and had 110 mph winds.
- No employees were injured, but the plant was damaged.
Rivian has high hopes for the R2, and they have reason to be excited as the model easily beats the Jeep Recon on paper. However, it appears Mother Nature isn’t a fan.
According to a company e-mail, Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, was hit by a tornado on April 17. The national weather service reports a supercell traveled across the state on Friday night and spawned 25 tornados.
More: Rivian’s Most Affordable Model Arrives First In Its Most Expensive Form
The tornado that struck the plant started at 9:57 pm and was an EF1 twister that produced winds up to 110 mph (177 km/h). It traveled 10.3 miles (16.6 km) and was 800 yards (2,400 feet) wide. The government said it “damaged several metal buildings,” caused significant tree damage, and flipped over a semi on I-55.
Pictures posted on the Rivian Forums show a section of the exterior wall collapsed and the ceiling partially caved in. There’s also debris in the surrounding area, as well as a flipped-over semi-trailer, and damage to another building.
In a message seen by CNBC, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said “Building 2 has sustained damage and is closed for the time being as we complete our assessments.” He added, “I am incredibly relieved to share that there were no injuries at our plant.”
Damage reportedly occurred in areas related to “parts storage and logistics” for the R2. While the pictures look pretty bad, Scaringe suggested operations in these sections could resume as early as this week.
The R2 will be launched in $57,990 Performance guise, featuring an 87.9 kWh battery pack and a dual-motor powertrain with 656 hp (489 kW / 665 PS) and 609 lb-ft (825 Nm) of torque. This enables it to accelerate from 0–60 mph (0-96 km/h) in as little as 3.6 seconds and have a range of up to 330 miles (531 km).
Additional variants will follow, including an R2 Standard Short Range in late 2027. It’s slated to cost around $45,000 and have a range in excess of 275 miles (443 km).
