A fire broke out in the parking lot of Rivian’s electric vehicle factory in Normal, IL, on Aug. 24, damaging 57 R1S and R1T models that were reportedly awaiting shipment to customers.
The Normal Fire Department responded to the call just before 9:45 p.m., according to spokesperson Matt Swaney.
The fire, which affected a corner of the factory's parking lot near industrial train rails, did not spread to the main plant where Rivian assembles its current models and is preparing for the production of the upcoming R2 SUV. By midnight, the blaze was extinguished, but fire crews remained on the scene to monitor the area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
This incident comes shortly after another fire involving three Rivian Amazon Electric Delivery Vans (EDVs) at an Amazon fulfillment center in Houston, Texas, last month. Rivian stated that the Houston fire was not related to the vehicles' high-voltage batteries.
While EV fires are statistically less common than fires involving combustion vehicles, they can be significantly more dangerous and challenging for fire departments to control. EV fires may reignite after being extinguished, necessitating ongoing monitoring by fire crews to prevent flare-ups.
The cause of the fire in Illinois remains unknown, and an investigation is underway to determine what sparked the blaze.
