American electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Rivian Automotive has confirmed its plans to finally start building a new factory in Georgia, US, early next year, reported AP.

The announcement follows after the Georgia Supreme Court cleared the company earlier this year to move ahead with the construction of its second US EV factory.

Rivian, at present, manufactures the R1T pickup vehicle and R1S SUV in Normal, Illinois.

In December 2021, the company announced its original plans to build a $5bn manufacturing plant east of Atlanta, in Morgan and Walton Counties. 

The company expects to hire more than 7,500 people at the site near Social Circle, where dirt grading is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The first phase of Rivian’s plant is anticipated to produce 200,000 cars annually, beginning in 2024. The second phase will produce another 200,000 annually, expected to be completed by 2030.

The confirmation was given in conjunction with the opening announcement of a retail site in an in-town Atlanta development, the eighth in a network of 'spaces the company is rolling out in selected locations around the country.

In the next few months, the company intends to open other facilities across the country in Colorado, Texas, and California.

Rivian design and retail development senior director Denise Cherry was quoted by the publication as saying: “We sell a physical product, so people want to experience it physically. That’s human nature.

“We are thrilled with the progress we’ve gotten so far. I mean, we are this close to finishing grading.

“We want you to understand how to take your family on a road trip, and what does charging look like, and how do we start to break down some of those barriers to EV adoption.”