In 2019, Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian. It was an impressive vote of confidence in the startup EV-maker, and it remains one of the largest orders for commercial vehicles in the US market. Now those vehicles have started hitting the road in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis and other cities. Amazon expects to roll them out in more than 100 cities by the end of this year, and to have the full 100,000 in service by 2030.

Amazon has been testing deliveries with preproduction vehicles since 2021, allowing Rivian to continuously improve the vehicle’s performance, safety and durability in various climates and geographies. Rivian has completed certifications with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency.

The custom vehicles, which are built at Rivian’s factory in Illinois, include features such as:

• A safety-first design with a large windshield to enhance driver visibility
• Driver assist technology such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and collision warnings
• Embedded technology that integrates the delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing, navigation and driver support
• Features to enhance the driver experience, such as automatic door locking/unlocking as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle, and a powered bulkhead door
• Batteries designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle

Amazon has added thousands of charging stations at its delivery stations across the country, and will continue to invest in charging infrastructure.

“Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon. “In addition to being sustainable, these new vehicles are also great for drivers—they were designed with driver input and feedback along the way, and they’re among the safest and most comfortable delivery vehicles on the road today.”

“To say this is an exciting moment is an understatement,” said RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian. “We’re thrilled to see this partnership has kick-started decarbonization projects across the logistics delivery industry.”

Source: Amazon