Rivian rolls out commercial fleet offerings beyond Amazon, adds new electric van to lineup

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Updated Dec 28, 2021
Rivian electric fleet van
Non-Amazon fleets will soon be able to place orders for Rivian's electric commercial vans which includes a new model that's expected to be available in 2023.
Rivian

Rivian recently added a fleet section and a new electric van in the hopes of reeling in more commercial interest beyond its massive van order with Amazon.

Rivian’s website now includes a fleet tab which provides information on its Rivian Commercial Van (RCV) program including charging, fleet vehicle management through Rivian FleetOS and fleet vehicle options.

The only commercial EV shown is Rivian’s van, 100,000 of which are destined for ecommerce giant Amazon. However, in a recent letter to shareholders, Rivian announced that their 700 cubic foot van, the EDV 700, will be joined by a smaller van, the EDV 500 next year. That van is narrower and shorter than the EDV 700.

[Related: Rivian's new auto plant in Georgia expected to triple EV production]

A van larger than EDV 700 will also be available though its model name is not provided. In its fleet section, Rivian describes its RCV lineup as “configurable models ranging from 450 to 900 cubic feet of cargo capacity with options for integrated factory upfitting.”

The EDV 700 has a range of 201 miles. Range is not listed for the EDV 500 or the larger van that tops out at 900 cubic feet. Payload capacity for the vans ranges from 1,960 pounds to 5,300 pounds.

Rivian fleet telematics for commercial electric vansCommercial electric vans purchased through Rivian are available with Rivian FleetOS, a telematics program.RivianRivian aims to provide a turn-key commercial EV program which includes assessing fleet needs for charging and EV duty cycles. Rivian’s mobile service division can provide on-the-spot EV repairs and maintenance or transport the vehicle to a Rivian service center if needed.  

Rivian will begin accepting fleet orders next year and expects to begin delivering non-Amazon vans in 2023. Interested fleets can register now on Rivian’s fleet section for additional information.

To help meet demand for its growing EV lineup, Rivian announced that it will be expanding its first plant in Normal, Illinois and begin construction this summer on a second plant near Atlanta, Ga. Following its anticipated completion in 2023, Rivian’s second assembly site in Georgia is expected to triple its annual EV production from 200,000 to 600,000 vehicles.

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Production goals for the California-based start-up fell short of expectations for 2021 according to the Q3 shareholder letter, the company’s first such letter following its IPO last month. Net loss for the third quarter amounted to $1.23 billion compared to $288 million for the same time last year. Supply chain setbacks and growing pains were to blame.

“Launching three vehicles across two platforms during our first year of production requires the simultaneous ramp of our supply chain, hiring and training of a production workforce, equipment bring-up, and rapid iteration through production quality loops,” states Rivian’s Q3 letter to shareholders.

“In addition, we have been met with one of the most complex supply chain environments the automotive industry has ever experienced,” the letter continues. “Our team continues to work closely with our supplier partners to help mitigate issues associated with bringing up a new supply chain, and we are encouraged that the issues we are experiencing, while certainly challenging, are not systemic in nature.”

Neither the Rivian R1T pickup or R1S SUV are mentioned as upcoming fleet vehicles on Rivian’s website or their shareholder newsletter which was published last week. The R1T, which first rolled out to customers in September, has received glowing reviews from several media outlets including MotorTrend which crowned the EV as its 2022 Truck of the Year. 

Rivian Amazon electric delivery vanAmazon is Rivian's first and largest fleet customer to date. The ecommerce giant ordered 100,000 vans. Rivian's EDV 700 is shown above.Rivian

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The following survey was sent as a link in an email cover message in February 2023 to the newsletter lists for Overdrive and CCJ. After approximately two weeks, a total of 176 owner-operators under their own authority, 113 owner-operators leased or assigned to a carrier and 82 fleet executives and 36 fleet employees from fleets with 10 or more power units had completed and submitted the questionnaire for a total of 407 qualified responses. Cross-tabulations based on respondent type are provided for each question when applicable.
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