Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has again endorsed Rivian, calling the brand “the best EV maker in the entire world” during the joint announcement event at the company’s plant.
The long-anticipated start of first external customer deliveries was not announced.
“I want to thank everyone for being here to celebrate the launch of this exciting new vehicle from our friends here at the best EV maker in the entire world,” the Illinois governor said in his remarks, according to a transcript obtained by EV.
“And of course, this vehicle is another major milestone brought to you by the dedicated workers at Rivian.”
The event in Normal had been widely anticipated as the potential moment for Rivian to mark the start of first external customer deliveries — particularly after reservation holders publicly signaled in recent days that they expected deliveries to begin imminently.
Rivian shares reached a new six month low earlier on Tuesday at $12.65, after having plunged by roughly 35% year to date.
‘Best EV Maker in the Entire World’
The Pritzker endorsement came without naming any EV competitor, such as Tesla.
“I have to say, all of us take enormous pride in what Rivian is accomplishing right here in Normal,” Pritzker said.
“I know that RJ pride-worthy [reference to Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe] and somebody who, when he first came to Illinois, came to Normal to look at this plant — there were maybe 25 employees of Rivian entirely, and so now with the 1000s and 1000s of people that are here in this plant, and as part of Rivian, I must say the pride is abounding.”
The historical framing — from approximately 25 employees at Rivian’s initial Illinois site visit to the current workforce of thousands at the Normal facility — provided the structural backdrop for the governor’s “best EV maker in the entire world” framing.
R1S Owner and R2 Reservation Holder
Pritzker also disclosed his personal commercial relationship with Rivian — confirming that he is both an R1S owner and an R2 reservation holder.
“I want to point out that I am signed up to buy an R2 myself as an owner of an R1, and one that we use on a farm,” Pritzker said.
“So if anybody thinks this is just a street vehicle or one that you use when you’re camping, it actually gets used on a farm every single day, and it works beautifully, and we love it.”
The personal disclosure — that the governor uses his R1 SUV for farm operations on a daily basis — represented an unusually substantive personal endorsement for a sitting state executive.
“So can’t wait for my more in-town vehicle that will be the R2,” Pritzker added.
The ‘Made in Illinois’ Framing
Pritzker positioned the Rivian partnership as a centerpiece of Illinois’s broader industrial identity.
“Made in Illinois — that is not just a platitude, it’s a reflection of the people of this state, and it’s a source of immense pride for all of us,” Pritzker said.
The framing aligns with the governor’s broader political positioning of Rivian’s Normal manufacturing operations as a signature accomplishment of his Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV Illinois) economic development strategy.
“I don’t know a single person that’s working here that doesn’t feel like every day progress is being made. I’m just, I’m so happy about that. I’m happy for the people that work here, I’m happy for the people of Normal, and for the entire state,” Pritzker said.
The governor closed his remarks by directly thanking Rivian‘s Scaringe.
“I want to just recognize and thank, of course, RJ for his continued commitment to our state and to the people of Normal.”
The Illinois Investment Context
The R2 production at Normal is anchored on the most significant state incentive package in Rivian’s history.
In 2024, Governor Pritzker joined Rivian to announce a historic $1.5 billion investment from the company to build the R2 model at its Normal facility, with the commitment creating more than 550 full-time jobs over five years.
The Illinois investment was supported by an $827 million 30-year incentive package, with the majority of funding derived from Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV Illinois) tax credits. Through REV, Rivian is eligible to receive tax benefits totaling nearly $634 million over the next three decades.
The REV agreement specifies the retention of at least 6,000 jobs for the entirety of the agreement period.
Rivian’s $1.5 billion investment expanded the total Normal facility capacity to 215,000 units per year, with a focus on the R2 SUV.
The Customer Deliveries Question
Rivian did not announce the start of first external customer deliveries at the Tuesday event — leaving open one of the central editorial questions that had circulated among investors and reservation holders in the hours leading up to the announcement.
The specific subject of the announcement remained undisclosed by either Rivian or the Governor’s office in the days leading up to the event, sparking widespread speculation that had been amplified after reservation holders publicly signaled in recent days that customer deliveries were imminent.
Rivian officially began R2 production on April 22 at its Normal, Illinois manufacturing plant — a date that arrived on schedule despite a tornado that tore part of the roof off the section of the factory dedicated to R2 production days earlier.
Rivian is launching the R2 with a Launch Edition starting at $57,990 — nearly $13,000 above the $45,000 price tag the company spent years promoting during the original R2 unveiling in March 2024.
The R2 Premium trim is scheduled to launch later in 2026 at $53,990.
The R2 Standard variant is expected in late 2027 at $48,490.
The Supplier Park Expansion
In May 2025, Rivian and Governor Pritzker announced an additional $120 million investment for a 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park adjacent to the Normal plant — supported by a $16 million state incentive package and creating nearly 100 direct jobs.
The supplier park allows Rivian to co-locate companies that produce component parts for its vehicles, with parts transported across Highway 150 to the company’s main facility for final assembly into R1 and R2 models.
In September 2025, OPmobility became the first supplier to commit to the Rivian Supplier Park, establishing its first Illinois facility to assemble bumpers for the R2 — creating 81 new full-time jobs at the location.
The supplier park construction was expected to be completed this year.
