EVs go up in flames at Rivian manufacturing plant in Illinois

The fire began in the parking lot on the north side of the four-million-square-foot factory, but the assembly plant was unaffected.

Several electric vehicles (EVs) caught fire at a Rivian manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. According to Mike Smith for 25News Now, the fire began around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. The Normal Fire Department (NFD) battled the fire, and the flames were extinguished by midnight. 

Reuters is reporting that the fire began in the parking lot on the north side of the four-million-square-foot factory, but the assembly plant was unaffected.

Matt Swaney, a representative for the Normal Fire Department, told The Verge, “It is a very intricate and complex investigation so we do not have a timeline of when and if any origin or cause may be determined at this time. The assembly plant itself is unaffected by the incident. There were no injuries to firefighters or Rivian personnel.”

A Rivian spokesperson told InsideEVs, "We are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a number of vehicles in a parking lot at our Normal plant late Saturday night. The plant itself is unaffected. There were no injuries."

While there has been no official confirmation on the number of vehicles damaged in the blaze, Joe Kucinski for Road and Track is reporting that “aerial photos and video posted to a Rivian Facebook group show that about 50 to 60 vehicles were torched and appear to be a total loss. The damaged vehicles were cordoned off by box cars and barriers in the corner of the parking lot.”

This is not the first time that Rivian vehicles have been involved in a fire. According to Autobody News, three Rivian Amazon Electric Delivery Vans (EDVs) recently caught fire at an Amazon fulfillment center in Houston, Texas. The company insists that the Houston fire was not related to the vehicles' high-voltage batteries.

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski

Alexis Gajewski

Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.

During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry. 

Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.

She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.

Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.

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