Rivian plans to temporarily halt production at its Normal, Illinois factory for three weeks, starting September 15th. This shutdown is a crucial step to retool the facility for the manufacturing of the new R2 vehicle.

Rivian released a short statement:

“We have a three week shutdown to retool in preparation for building R2 next year. We look forward to sharing more on R2 soon!”

This retooling is a major step to prepare the factory for R2 production next year. For fans and potential buyers, this is a major milestone making the R2 feel real.