Rivian

Trump administration trade and regulatory policy initially hurt Rivian. Changes in the administration stance may now help some.

The head of electric vehicle maker Rivian says the future is not just EVs, it’s artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles. And it’s coming sooner than you might think.

The electric automaker Rivian confirmed Thursday it’s cutting hundreds of positions – about 4.5% of its companywide workforce. That would be about 600 jobs. It's unclear how many of those jobs are in Normal; a Rivian spokesperson said no manufacturing operations employees are impacted.

Rivian’s micromobility spinoff company Also unveiled its initial lineup of electric vehicles on Wednesday, including an e-bike, and plans for another product in partnership with Amazon.

The McLean County Farm Bureau is expressing disappointment with the redesigned intersection of College Avenue and Rivian Motorway, also also known as Route 150. Under construction, it will be a roundabout.

Rivian is no longer sharing publicly how many people work at its Normal manufacturing plant – a change in longstanding practice for an electric automaker that’s received millions of dollars in publicly funded tax breaks. And evidence suggests Rivian’s headcount in Normal is much lower than previously thought.

OPmobility plans to assemble bumpers in Normal for Rivian’s new lower-cost R2 model that goes into production next year. It's expected to start at $45,000.

Fourteen new electric-vehicle charging stations are coming to gas stations and a restaurant in McLean County, as part of a second round of federal grants aimed at bolstering EV charging capacity along interstate corridors.

The implementation of climate and environmental policy may become more challenging during the Trump administration, but the fight is far from over, according to one national environmental advocate.

The stakes are high for Rivian in Georgia. The plant will make new lower-cost models, called R2 and R3, that will be key to Rivian’s long-term ability to turn a profit. And it’s being built at a time of increased hostility toward EVs from the Trump administration.