Rivian has revealed its plan to extend the availability of its Electric Delivery Van (EDV) to customers beyond Amazon, marking a significant shift in its business strategy, as announced during its Q3 earnings presentation today.
Recognized for its outstanding R1T and R1S light-duty vehicles, Rivian has also ventured into manufacturing commercial heavy-duty vehicles, with the EDV initially tailored for Amazon’s delivery services.
Back in 2019, Amazon placed an order for 100,000 of these vans, and Rivian has been steadily fulfilling this colossal order, projected to continue until 2030. Although these vans have begun to emerge on roads, it will take the company several years to complete the entire order as it scales up production.
To date, Rivian has successfully deployed 10,000 EDVs, facilitating the delivery of over 260 million packages across more than 1,800 cities in the US, with some making their way to Germany as well.
Today, Rivian has officially signaled the conclusion of its exclusive agreement with Amazon, thereby making the vans accessible for purchase to any interested company.
The EDVs are available in two sizes, boasting a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of up to 9,500 pounds and a payload capacity of 2,734 pounds. Rivian offers a tailor-made software stack, providing users with real-time fleet information, proving to be a valuable asset for commercial operations.
While Rivian has hinted at engaging with other potential customers who have shown interest in the Rivian Commercial Van, the company refrained from disclosing specific details about these potential clients.
Additionally, as part of this announcement, it appears that Rivian has decided to rebrand the vehicle from the EDV (Electric Delivery Van) to the Rivian RCV (Rivian Commercial Van). This move suggests that Rivian might be contemplating diversifying the use of this vehicle beyond just deliveries.
By expanding the scope of upfitting options for the van beyond the standard delivery configuration, a multitude of possibilities emerge. For instance, envisioning the conversion of this electric van into a recreational vehicle akin to the electric Winnebago they had the chance to test out.
Nevertheless, the continued categorization of the vehicle as a “commercial” van implies that the company primarily envisions its use in commercial applications. Consequently, it is likely that the van will predominantly serve delivery purposes, given that it remains the most prevalent application for this class of vehicles.
However, the potential for transforming these vans into bakery trucks, food trucks, or similar applications is not entirely out of the question.
