Rivian Will Open $4.6 Million Service Support Center As It Prepares For First Vehicle Sales

PLYMOUTH – Rivian, the electric vehicle startup that’s gearing up for an initial public offering, continues its trend of growing fast. The company will be opening in Plymouth, a service support operations facility for vehicle owners — and just in time, as deliveries of the launch edition of the R1T pickup are expected to commence soon.

The facility will create 100 new jobs and come at an investment of $4.6 million, $750,000 of which comes from a business development grant from the state. Funds such as the Michigan Business Development Program are used to attract business and encourage in-state job creation and investment. This isn’t Rivian’s first time investing in Michigan — while the company’s factory is in Normal, Illinois (with a second one likely coming), its headquarters is in Plymouth. Rivian also opened an R&D center in Dearborn in 2015 at a capital investment of $29.5 million.

The new center will be an extension of Rivian’s current headquarters, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. Through the new center, the electric automaker “plans to support all Rivian owners” by providing “around-the-clock assistance by the Rivian Roadside and Service Support team to North American Rivian owners with vehicle questions, roadside requests and service scheduling needs,” according to a news release.