.png)
Nearly two years after Rivian first arrived in Normal, community members will finally be able to see the company’s first electric vehicles in person. Rivian is planning a community event from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 13 in Uptown Normal. Rivian’s battery-powered R1T pickup and R1S sport utility vehicle will be on display.
The EV maker is also recruiting employees for its Normal manufacturing plant, which now has around 130 employees. Rivian has said it plans to hire as many as 1,000 workers by 2024.
Several jobs in Normal are now posted on Rivian’s websites, including maintenance technician, battery manufacturing engineer, facilities engineer, packaging engineer, and quality assurance engineer. Rivian plans to begin making its first vehicles in Normal next year.
“Normal’s experienced workforce, existing plant infrastructure, and beautiful location made the city a natural home for us,” Rivian said in a statement Thursday. “We’re excited to build our electric adventure vehicles in collaboration with this community.”
Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe will be in Normal for the Oct. 13 event. The company will also have a temporary storefront displaying Rivian history and plant photos at One Uptown Circle.
Parking will be available at the public parking garage at Uptown Station; EV charging is available there. Attendees using public transportation should use the Uptown Station bus stop. Cyclists will find bike racks in the parking structure at Uptown Station.
source: https://www.wglt.org/post/rivian-bring-electric-vehicles-uptown-normal#stream/0
I was there yesterday after a four hour drive and it looked like the event went great. The weather was good and lots of company employees, maybe five or six around each of the three vehicles plus another ten inside recruiting employees and giving out tee shirts.
What I went to learn and see..
Tires are 275x60, r 20s, interior upholstery is "vegan leather", plant derived???...interior armrests etc are "polyester" but that does feel like leather.
Floors are washable and the mats are made of chilewich whatever that is.
An East Asian man who works at a company near the plant says he doesn't see many employee cars in the plant yet.
Another non company guy said they are still waiting for the assembly line machinery to arrive and be installed. Everyone is ready and anxious for that, and me to as I am a reservation holder.
RJ was there with the Governor. Someone said RJ is only 37 years old, but looks like everything is under as much control as can be for something like this that has never been done.