Electronic cars company Rivian will try to ram up its production by having more hands on deck at its Normal, Illinois plant. According to The Wall Street Journal, Rivian has been recently making moves to get a large chunk of its engineering team relocated closer to the factory.
Reportedly, the decision will affect staff that performs manufacturing-related tasks. The company is primarily looking to increase the speed and capacity of its assembly lines, hoping to improve the sluggish production that has been plaguing the company in recent months.
When reached out to by Reuters, Rivian declined to confirm the relocations will indeed take place.
“In terms of ramping production, it’s helpful to have the manufacturing and engineering teams closer to our facilities in Normal as well as our headquarters in Irvine,” a Rivian spokesperson added.
During its rapid expansion in recent years, Rivian didn’t insist that its employees have an on-site presence while filling out the positions of need. However, the company is now determined to change the course and move away from remote working practice. The affected workers will reportedly be able to refuse relocation, in which case they will be let go with a severance package and replaced with those that have no trouble relocating.
Rivian has missed out on its goal of producing 25,000 electric cars in 2022. The company also expects to come short in 2023 compared to Wall Street estimates.