In Illinois, Tesla-like dreams for an EV startup, former Mitsubishi factory In Illinois, Tesla-like dreams for an EV startup, former Mitsubishi factory May 21, 2018 dzadmin Comments 0 Comment Startup Rivian Automotive, steered by a 35-year-old MIT grad, paid $16 million for a mothballed car factory and its equipment in Illinois with bold plans to produce EVs.