Amazon receives its first 10,000 Rivian electric vans

The world leader in online shopping, Amazon, aims to green its distribution in the United States and is electrifying its fleet with Rivian.

This is the kind of announcement that changes a company forever. The credibility boost is phenomenal for the American electric vehicle startup Rivian. Founded in 2009, the company’s name is derived from the contraction of Indian River, and its headquarters are located in Plymouth, Michigan, in the Detroit suburbs.

Often compared to Tesla for its ability to leverage social media to communicate about its products—currently a large SUV, a pickup truck, and a delivery van, all electric—Rivian is experiencing interesting growth.

Following a thorough evaluation process, the Amazon giant decided to trust Rivian to handle thousands of daily deliveries and place orders for 10,000 customized units of its RCV-500, RCV-700, and RCV-900 vans in the company’s colors. Given how much Amazon has made reliability and speed of delivery its main selling points, playing such a role in the logistics of the world’s leading online retailer is a significant proof of recognition and seriousness.

Amazon and Rivian have already announced a total volume that could, if full satisfaction is achieved, reach 100,000 units of this electric van to operate in 1,800 American cities and deliver 240 million packages annually across the Atlantic. The range of the 500, 700, and 900 versions (whose dimensions and cargo capacities vary) ranges from 241 to 193 km, based on the same powertrain (front motors and battery) as the R1T pickup, for economic and technical pragmatism.

A pragmatic approach that will encourage other companies to trust Rivian as well. Caution, though—becoming primarily known for its utility vehicles could be risky for a young brand. Mixing genres can sometimes be dangerous.

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