Amazon begun testing electric delivery vans from Rivian on routes in L.A, according to CNBC report on Wednesday. The firm debuted one version of their delivery vans in October last year, and it will test the custom electric vehicles in as many as 16 different cities in 2021.
Earlier, Amazon announced on September 2019, it would purchase 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian as part of its aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040. Amazon started a fund, and invested in Rivian through it, as part of this pledge.
On other hand, Ross Rachey, director of Amazon’s global fleet and products, said the electrification effort is a point of pride for the company. It has required Amazon to install thousands of electric vehicle chargers and change up the electrical design and layout of delivery facilities in North America and Europe.
Moreover, the company built the test fleet vehicles for Amazon in Plymouth, Michigan. Each van can drive up to 150 miles on a single charge.
Rivian is also expected to be among the first companies to bring an all-electric pickup to market later this year. While it is still privately held, Rivian is shaping up to be a serious challenger to Tesla, and has raised about $8 billion since 2019.
Moreover, the light-duty trucks including delivery vans to be in demand in the U.S. in coming years, and not just by the firm. That’s in part because President Biden, through his Buy America plan, has committed to replace the federal government’s fleet of internal combustion engine vehicles with cleaner, quieter electrics.
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