President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy will make a $6.6 billion loan to Rivian Automotive to build a factory in Georgia that had stalled as the startup electric vehicle maker struggled to become profitable.

In the closing days of President Biden’s administration, it is handing out billions of dollars in a loan to an electric vehicle maker, Rivian Automotive, even though the company has struggled to become profitable.

Rivian paused work on the plant earlier this year amid financial difficulties. The factory is supposed to produce midsize and crossover SUVs.

Rivian is battling a class-action securities fraud case in California tied to its much-hyped initial public offering three years ago.

The loan is a critical step for the EV maker, which had halted work on its plant after struggling to become profitable.

Rivian said it will use a $6.6 billion government loan to “aggressively” scale manufacturing of its R2, which is coming in 2026.