More than 2,000 people went off-roading along the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago over the weekend, as EV automaker Rivian turned Pioneer Court into a pop-up wilderness course.
Tribune Tower, the Chicago River and Michigan Avenue provided the unlikely backdrop as expert drivers took passengers on a Rivian Electric Joyride over temporary dirt mounds and steep inclines. The course, which took nearly a week to construct, included an 18-foot mound of dirt at a 33-degree slope, with a 35-degree embankment along the side, testing the EVs as well as the passengers’ faith in their designated drivers.
“The Electric Joyride allowed us to showcase the capabilities of our all-electric R1S SUV and R1T truck by building an off-road course in the middle of Chicago,” said Rivian spokesperson Kelli Felker. “All EVs are fast on the road, but our vehicles shine both on- and off-road, which sets us apart from the rest.”
None of the test drives ventured into the real obstacle course — the actual potholed and traffic-jammed streets of Chicago — but Rivian used the faux Baja terrain to provide an experience of how the quad-motor R1S SUV or R1T truck can do in rugged backcountry.
All made it safely through the circuit, demonstrating the EV’s off-road capabilities while reminding thousands of riders and potential buyers that the homegrown EVs are built two hours south of Chicago in downstate Normal.
The off-road exhibit first popped up in March at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The remaining dirt from the Chicago version was expected to be cleaned up and hauled away Monday, Felker said.
A 2026 Rivian R1S SUV drives on mounds of dirt Sept. 19, 2025, at an off-road course near Pioneer Court in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Meanwhile, the state announced the first tenant at Rivian’s new $120 million Normal supplier park last week.
French company OPmobility will locate across the street from Rivian’s EV plant to assemble bumpers for the downsized R2 SUV, which is due to begin rolling off the production line during the first half of 2026. OPmobility was incentivized to build its first Illinois facility through the state’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles In Illinois (REV Illinois). The 2021 legislation offers up to a 75% credit on state income tax for EV manufacturers for meeting agreed-upon investment and job creation targets.
OPmobility has committed to create 81 full-time jobs and make an undisclosed investment at its Normal facility to receive a $3.67 million tax credit, according to the agreement, which is posted online by the state.
Rivian began building its full-size electric R1T pickup truck, the R1S SUV and its commercial delivery vans in September 2021 in a former Mitsubishi auto plant on the outskirts of Normal. In March 2024, Rivian revealed that the R2 will also be made in Illinois, putting plans to build a $5 billion Georgia plant on hold.
Backed by $827 million in state incentives, Rivian is expanding its 4.3 million-square-foot Normal auto plant by an additional 1.1 million square feet and creating more than 550 assembly jobs over five years to build the midsize R2 SUV.
In May, Rivian announced it is building a separate $120 million supplier park near its Normal plant. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility is expected to add 100 jobs to the expanding production operation of the California-based EV automaker, which manufactures its entire fleet in the college town about 130 miles south of Chicago.
While not located in the new supplier park, Adient, a leading global manufacturer of auto seats, announced in July it is investing more than $8 million to repurpose an existing 85,000-square-foot-warehouse adjacent to the Rivian plant to make front and rear seats for the EVs. The investment was also incentivized by state tax credits.
Originally Published: September 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM CDT