American electric vehicle (EV) company Rivian is finally opening sales of its Rivian Commercial electric van to fleets of all sizes in the United States.
This is the first time that the Rivian Commercial van will be available to customers not named Amazon, who held exclusive access to the electric delivery van (EDV).
Amazon and Rivian have been in partnership for several years now, ever since Amazon led a $US700 million investment round for Rivian in 2019. The company later placed an order for 100,000 units of the promised EDV and began using the electric delivery vans in early 2021.
Designed from the ground up as a delivery van, prioritising safety, driver comfort, total cost of ownership, and sustainability, the EDV is billed as among the safest vehicles on the road today, boasting automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and 360-degree visibility.
Rivian has been trialling its EDV with several large fleets in the US since its exclusivity period with Amazon ended and has now opened the gates for any and all customers.
The Rivian Commercial Van is available in two sizes, the 500, with 487 cubic feet of cargo space, 2,663lb payload, and an estimated range of 260 kilometres; and the 700, which offers 652 cubic feet of cargo space, 2,258lb payload, and a similar estimated driving range.
Starting at $US79,900 for the Delivery 500 and $US83,900 for the Delivery 700, fleet orders can be made through the Rivian website now.
“Through existing partnerships our commercial vans have already proved incredibly successful,” said Tom Solomon, senior director of business development for Rivian.
“Amazon currently has more than 20,000 in its fleet and delivered over a billion packages from its Electric Delivery Vans in 2024 alone.
“Over the last year we have been focusing our efforts on testing with some larger fleets, and we’re really pleased with how those trials have gone. As a result, we’re excited to now be able to open sales to fleets of all sizes in the US, whether they want 1 van or thousands.
“Our vehicles are designed to not only be among the safest on the road but will also help fleet owners to reduce the cost of fleet ownership and their carbon footprint.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.