<p>Gov. <strong>Jay Robert ‘JB’ Pritzker</strong> (D-IL) has hailed <strong>Rivian Technologies Inc.</strong>‘s (NASDAQ:RIVN) production ramp of the R2 crossover SUV at the automaker’s manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois.</p>



<h2>‘Made In Illinois’</h2>



<p>“Made in Illinois,” Pritzker said in a post on <strong>X</strong> on Tuesday, sharing that the Normal, Illinois, plant, which earlier belonged to Japanese automaker <strong>Mitsubishi</strong>, had been closed for a decade.</p>



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<p> “Creating jobs in Central Illinois, strengthening our manufacturing, and leading the pack in the EV industry,” Pritzker said.</p>



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<blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Made in Illinois.<br/><br/>Just over a decade ago, the Mitsubishi plant here in Normal closed its doors and now we're telling a different story with the launch of Rivian's R2.<br/><br/>Creating jobs in Central Illinois, strengthening our manufacturing, and leading the pack in the EV industry. pic.twitter.com/MHOiVE0j94</p>— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 19, 2026</blockquote>
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<h2>Big Day For Rivian</h2>



<p>Pritzker, in a separate post, shared a video of himself with Rivian CEO <strong>RJ Scaringe</strong>, who shared that he was “excited” to be ramping up the R2’s production and that the R2 would help the <strong>Tesla Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:TSLA) rival “scale the business and go into the mass market.”</p>



<p>The Illinois governor said that he was “excited” about Rivian’s production ramp and that he knew a lot of people who had “put in their deposit” for the R2, including himself. “I’m in line too,” Pritzker said. “Today’s a big day for Rivian. It’s a big day for the state of Illinois,” he said. </p>



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<blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's a big day for Normal and the entire state of Illinois as we launch Rivian's R2. pic.twitter.com/IMflKJkmQE</p>— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 19, 2026</blockquote>
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<h2>Rivian R2 Customer Deliveries, Amazon Deal</h2>



<p>During the first quarter of 2026 earnings call, Rivian shared that it would begin customer deliveries in the “coming weeks.” Rivian’s first-quarter production figures came in at 10,236 vehicles, while its deliveries for the same period stood at 10,365 vehicles.</p>



<p>However, over 50% of the company’s first-quarter automotive revenue, or close to $468 million of Rivian's total $908 million revenue figure, came from sales of its fleet vans to e-commerce giant <strong>Amazon.com Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:AMZN).</p>



<p>Meanwhile, reviews of the R2 crossover have been positive, with YouTuber <strong>Marques Brownlee</strong>, also known as<strong> MKBHD</strong>, sharing that it could be a successor to the Tesla Model Y.</p>



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<p>According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Rivian offers Satisfactory Momentum and provides a favorable price trend in the Short and Long term.</p>



<p><strong>Price Action</strong>: RIVN declined 2.92% to $12.96 during the pre-market trading on Wednesday.</p>



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<p><em>Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by</em> following this link.</p>



<p><em>Photo courtesy: Michael Berlfein via Shutterstock</em></p>

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<p>Governor JB Pritzker praised Rivian's R2 production at the Illinois plant, emphasizing job creation and the state's leadership in the EV industry. He expressed excitement about the R2's potential to rival Tesla's Model Y and mentioned his own reservation for the vehicle. Rivian plans to begin customer deliveries soon, with positive reviews for the R2. However, Rivian's stock fell 2.92% to $12.96 in pre-market trading.</p>

- Governor JB Pritzker announced the ramp-up of Rivian Technologies Inc.'s R2 production at the previously closed Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, highlighting its impact on job creation and the local economy.  
- Rivian is set to begin customer deliveries of the R2 soon, with production figures showing over 10,000 vehicles produced in Q1 2026, while a significant portion of its revenue resulted from fleet sales to Amazon.  
- Reviews for the R2 have been positive, with expectations that it could rival the Tesla Model Y, despite Rivian's stock experiencing a decline in pre-market trading.

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JB Pritzker Hails Rivian R2 Production, Says He Has Reserved The 'Made In Illinois' Tesla Model Y Rival