An EF-1 tornado struck Rivian's manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, over the weekend, directly hitting the building where the company is ramping up production of its upcoming R2 SUV, TechCrunch first reported.
No injuries were reported, and Rivian says it expects to resume operations in the affected building this week.
Why this matters: The R2, starting at about $45,000, is Rivian's first shot at a mainstream price point, a significant step down from its existing R1 lineup, which starts closer to $70,000.
CEO RJ Scaringe actually told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau that the R2 is expected to drive the “majority of the volume” for the company by the end of next year.
For now, Rivian has not said whether the temporary shutdown will affect the R2's broader rollout or timeline, which is slated for the coming weeks.
But any delay to the R2 launch, however brief, will add pressure to a company that is still losing money each quarter and has staked much of its near-term trajectory on this vehicle.
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