Rivian’s Illinois Factory Will Run On Over 100 Second-Life Rivian Battery Packs

On April 14 2026, Business Wire reported Rivian and Redwood Materials announced a partnership to deploy pioneering battery energy storage at Rivian’s manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. Using more than 100 second-life Rivian battery packs, the joint solution will initially provide 10 megawatt-hours of dispatchable energy to reduce costs and alleviate grid load during peak demand periods, improving both economic performance and grid reliability.

Rivian will supply EV battery packs to Redwood, which will integrate them into a Redwood Energy system supported by its Redwood Pack Manager technology. This platform enables stored energy to be deployed on-site at Rivian’s Normal facility. The system is designed for rapid scalability and delivers significant cost advantages by repurposing safe, field-proven EV batteries. The approach allows for faster and more flexible deployment of energy capacity directly at high-demand locations such as manufacturing plants.

To capture and balance the expected growth in peak electricity demand, the United States must deploy large volumes of energy storage. By 2030, projections indicate that more than 600 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity will be required to meet rising demand, stabilize peak loads, and support continued technological advancement.

This volume is comparable to a massive energy reservoir equal to the total output of the Hoover Dam operating continuously for two months. EV batteries are often the longest-lasting component of a vehicle, engineered to endure hundreds of thousands of miles, and they frequently retain substantial capacity even after the vehicle reaches end of life, making them highly valuable for stationary storage applications.

“EVs represent a massive, distributed and highly competitive energy resource,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. “As energy needs grow, our grid needs to be flexible, secure, and affordable. Our partnership with Redwood enables us to utilize our vehicle’s batteries beyond the life of a vehicle and contribute to grid health and American competitiveness.”

“Electricity demand is accelerating faster than the grid can expand, posing a constraint on industrial growth,” said JB Straubel, Redwood Materials Founder and CEO. “At the same time, the massive amount of domestic battery assets already in the U.S. market represents a strategic energy resource. Our partnership with Rivian shows how EV battery packs can be turned into dispatchable energy resources, bringing new capacity online quickly, supporting critical manufacturing, and reducing strain on the grid without waiting years for new infrastructure. This is a scalable model for how we add meaningful energy capacity in the near term.”

Stationary energy storage plays a critical role in reducing costs and enhancing system stability for both operators and the broader grid. During periods of elevated demand such as heat waves, Rivian can immediately dispatch stored energy from second-life batteries to offset increased consumption at its facility. This reduces the need to procure higher-cost electricity from the grid while simultaneously minimizing additional strain on the power system.

Redwood’s deep expertise in battery systems and power integration positions the company to capture a rapidly growing domestic supply of reusable battery assets. By transitioning these battery packs into stationary energy systems prior to recycling, their useful life is extended, reliance on imported energy storage solutions is reduced, and billions of dollars in potential grid infrastructure upgrades can be deferred.

Rivian, One of America’s EV Leaders

Rivian is an American automotive technology company that develops and manufactures category-defining electric vehicles alongside vertically integrated technologies and services. Through innovation across electrical architecture, end-to-end software, autonomous driving platforms, artificial intelligence, and propulsion systems, the company produces vehicles designed for both utility and recreation while advancing the global shift to zero-emission transportation and energy. Rivian vehicles are manufactured in the United States and sold directly to consumer and commercial customers, with a mission centered on preserving the natural world for future generations.

Redwood Materials, an Innovative Energy Storage Company

Redwood Materials is building a domestic supply of critical materials while deploying large-scale energy storage solutions. Founded by JB Straubel, the company produces lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and cathode active materials at scale in the United States, manufactures key battery components, and develops energy storage systems that support data centers and the electrical grid. Redwood is focused on expanding U.S. capacity for next-generation energy storage and strengthening domestic energy infrastructure.