UK Offers Array Of Incentives To Rivian To Help Secure Factory

The British government is desperate for Rivian to choose the UK as the location for their European plant.

By: Ben O'Hare

Dec 4, 2021 at 10:11am ET

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The British government has reportedly offered a wide range of incentives to US startup Rivian as they look to convince the automaker to build their European factory in the UK. According to the Financial Times the government has offered to build training facilities, a new M5 motorway junction and even open up closed railway lines to secure the deal.

The proposed location of the factory is somewhere on the premises of the 616 acre ‘Gravity’ business park just outside the city of Bristol. The business park offers a range of plots and buildings targeted at high-tech firms and wants to be the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley.

However, Rivian is not fully convinced just yet. The firm is also considering Serbia, as well as “at least one other European country”. It is understood Amazon will also have a key role in the final decision, with Jeff Bezos’ company owning a major stake in Rivian.

What will be built at Rivian’s European plant remains a mystery, but their bespoke van designed for Amazon could be a safe bet. Battery production may also take place at the facility. It is unlikely the R1T pickup will be built / available in Europe, meanwhile the R1S SUV’s large size means it could also be restricted to the North American market.