Rivian and Redwood Materials Partner on Battery Energy Storage for Manufacturing — Rivian Automotive, Inc.

Event summary

Rivian and Redwood Materials are deploying over 100 second-life Rivian battery packs at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois facility to provide 10 MWh of dispatchable energy.
The system aims to reduce costs and grid load during peak demand periods, supporting grid security and reliability.
Redwood's Redwood Pack Manager technology will integrate the battery packs into an on-site energy storage solution.
The partnership is part of a broader effort to meet the U.S.'s estimated need for over 600GWh of storage by 2030.

The big picture

This partnership aligns with broader trends in energy storage and grid management, where second-life EV batteries are increasingly seen as a strategic resource. The U.S. faces growing electricity demand, and solutions like this could defer billions in infrastructure upgrades while supporting domestic energy independence.

What we're watching

Scalability Potential: How quickly the partnership can scale beyond Rivian’s Normal facility to other high-demand industrial sites.
Grid Impact: Whether this model can significantly reduce strain on the grid during peak demand periods, particularly in regions with aging infrastructure.
Regulatory Influence: The pace at which regulatory incentives for second-life battery storage could accelerate similar partnerships across the industry.