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RJ Scaringe believes robots, tariffs, and diplomacy are needed to preserve a manufacturing base in the United States. He started Rivian in 2009, and the electric vehicle start-up delivered its first trucks and S.U.V.s more than 10 years later.

At Rivian’s sprawling seven-million-square-foot complex in Normal, Ill., employees described how they streamlined production. More than 400 robots in the body shop help with early assembly, while in-house technology helps workers communicate. The new S.U.V., the R2, launched in June to rave reviews and starts at about $45,000, roughly half the price of the R1.

The R2 is a rare bright spot for the U.S. electric vehicle industry, which faces weaker federal support and falling sales. Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., expects to deliver up to 70,000 cars this year, up from roughly 42,000 last year, but has yet to turn a profit. Scaringe said suppliers are now eager to work with the company and that Rivian should have moved faster while keeping the same sequence of events.