EV Notes: Rivian Alters Georgia Plant Plans, No Nissan EVs in Mississippi
Rivian Inc. executives have added a hefty chunk of capacity to the first phase of their planned plant east of Atlanta and reworked a U.S. Department of Energy loan that will fund part of that project.
When first announced in late 2021, the Rivian factory in Stanton Springs, Georgia, was forecast to have annual production capacity of 400,000 electric vehicles, split equally into two phases. While announcing Rivian’s first-quarter earnings last week, Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe and CFO Claire McDonough said the plant’s first phase will now enable the company to make 300,000 cars annually. Land for the Georgia plant’s potential second phase, McDonough added, “is still going to be entirely untouched greenfield.”
Alongside the new timeline and scope for their Georgia growth, Rivian’s leaders also said that the DOE loan they negotiated in 2024 has shrunk to a maximum of $4.5 billion from $6.6 billion and will now be used only for the new plant’s first phase.
“This change is expected to boost cost efficiency while still providing significant room for future expansion in later phases,” Scaringe said on a conference call. “We remain on track for the production of our midsized vehicle platform to begin in Georgia in late 2028.”
Nissan Retreats From Canton EV Plans
Also making a major change to production plans are leaders of Nissan Motor Co., who last week told dealers and suppliers they’re dropping plans to make two electric SUVs in Canton, Missisissippi.
The move echoes those of fellow OEMs General Motors, Ford and Stellantis to dial back EV production plans and instead invest in internal-combustion products. Nissan’s plans had called for Canton production of the new EVs to begin in 2028 and the latest news comes about two months after officials also punted on plans to introduce a smaller-battery and lower-priced version of its Leaf compact car.
Officials said work on other models being made in Canton, which employs about 3,200 people, isn’t being affected by the EV cancellation. In the first three months of this year, Nissan sold about 247,000 vehicles in the United States, a drop of 7.5% from early 2025.
E-Bike Venture Investing in Tennessee
A Florida-based maker of electric bicycles has committed to investing about $7 million in a Tennessee plant and distribution center, where it plans to hire 288 people to reshore work on a recently acquired brand.
Leaders of LEV Manufacturing said last week that they’ll use their new 100,000-square-foot building in Algood, which sits some 80 miles east of Nissan’s other big U.S. auto manufacturing plant in Smyrna, to house the assembly and distribution of Rad Power Bikes. Life EV Group, which owns 40% of LEV Manufacturing, acquired Rad Power in March as part of a plan to roll up e-bike and e-scooter companies. LEV Manufacturing also wosn Serial 1 Cycle Co., which was incubated at Harley-Davidson.
“This location will serve as a central hub for distributing and future assembly of leading electric mobility brands, including Rad Power Bikes, Serial 1 and Life EV,” Robert Provost, the CEO of both LEV Manufacturing and Life EV Group, said in a statement. “By bringing operations closer to our customers and investing in U.S.-based manufacturing, we are building a scalable platform to support long-term growth, innovation and job creation.”
About the Author
Geert De Lombaerde
Senior Editor
A native of Belgium, Geert De Lombaerde has been in business journalism since the mid-1990s and writes about public companies, markets and economic trends for Endeavor Business Media publications, focusing on IndustryWeek, FleetOwner, Oil & Gas Journal, T&D World and Healthcare Innovation. He also curates the twice-monthly Market Moves Strategy newsletter that showcases Endeavor stories on strategy, leadership and investment and contributes to other Market Moves newsletters.
With a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, he began his reporting career at the Business Courier in Cincinnati in 1997, initially covering retail and the courts before shifting to banking, insurance and investing. He later was managing editor and editor of the Nashville Business Journal before being named editor of the Nashville Post in early 2008. He led a team that helped grow the Post's online traffic more than fivefold before joining Endeavor in September 2021.