Amazon Rolls Out Rivian Build Electric Delivery Vehicles Across the US

Amazon announced that starting today customers across the US will begin to see custom electric delivery vehicles from Rivian delivering their Amazon packages.

Don’t Miss

• Do you need a business bank account for your online business? Have a look at our review of the five best bank accounts for sellers, some of which are free with no minimum balance or deposits.
• Boost your social media engagement with Publer. Learn how you can save time writing engaging content faster with AI. ^[sponsored]
• eBay to compete with sellers now!
• New stamp prices and fee increases are coming from USPS on July 9.
• SMALL BUSINESS WEEK SPECIAL: Three tips for SMB ecommerce success in 2023.

The Amazon-branded Rivian electric vehicles are hitting the road in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis, among other cities.

There are expected to be thousands of Amazon’s custom electric delivery vehicles in more than 100 cities by year-end and 100,000 across the US by 2030 the company said.

“Fighting the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment. Rivian has been an excellent partner in that mission, and we’re excited to see our first custom electric delivery vehicles on the road,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our Climate Pledge commitment. Rivian was one of the first companies Amazon invested in through the Climate Pledge Fund, and we’re just getting started on our journey to have 100,000 of Rivian’s vehicles on the road by 2030.”

The vehicles are the product of Amazon’s partnership with Rivian as well as working with its drivers to design and build a delivery vehicle with safety, sustainability, and comfort in mind.

Rivian preproduction vehicles have been on the road since 2021, delivering over 430,000 Amazon packages and accumulating over 90,000 miles.

Amazon co-founded and became the first signatory of The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040.

The company has committed to creating a more sustainable delivery fleet, and its partnership with Rivian is an integral part of its efforts to accelerate innovation and decarbonize its last-mile logistics.

Amazon Plans 100,000 Electric Delivery Vehicles in the US by 2030

With Amazon’s ambition to have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, the company will save millions of metric tons of carbon per year.

“Today represents an important step, not just for Amazon and Rivian as partners, but also for transportation and the environment,” said RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian.

“In 2019, Rivian and Amazon committed to fast-tracking a new type of delivery vehicle that would result in a significant reduction of carbon emissions.”

Rivian’s custom vehicles are built in Illinois and feature innovative technology and features such as:

• A safety-first design focused on superior 360-degree visibility and vehicle features that protect drivers and pedestrians.
• A suite of innovative safety features including sensor detection, highway, and traffic assist technology, a large windshield to enhance driver visibility, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and collision warnings.
• First-of-its-kind embedded technology that fully integrates the delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing, navigation, driver support and more.
• Features to enhance the driver experience, and create ease on the road such as automatic door locking/unlocking as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle, and a powered bulkhead door that opens when drivers reach their delivery location.
• A strengthened door on the driver’s side for additional protection, and an ergonomically designed driver’s cabin and cargo area for safe, and easy movement inside the van.
• Batteries that are light, resilient, and low cost in addition to lasting the lifetime of the vehicle.

To support its sustainable delivery fleet, Amazon has installed thousands of charging stations at its delivery stations across the country and will continue to invest in expanding its infrastructure as more EVs are added to the fleet.

Amazon also joined forces with CERES and several other fleet operators to create the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance bringing together companies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

While Rivian vehicles are currently only slated to support Amazon’s US delivery operations, the company has made substantial investments in electric vehicles in Europe as well.

In 2020, Amazon started its last-mile decarbonization process by adding electric vehicles from Mercedes Benz vans to its European fleet.

And earlier this year it set another milestone by launching five electric heavy goods vehicles in the UK, the first HGVs in the UK and Europe in its logistics network.