Amazon helped fund the development of Rivian’s electric delivery van, and it asked for a four-year exclusivity agreement in exchange. The contract, which took effect in 2021, prevented Rivian from selling vans to a buyer other than Amazon. The two parties ended their agreement in 2023, well ahead of schedule, and Rivian is now taking orders from anyone. Well, sort of: you need to be a fleet operator to buy one.
The fleet-bound vans look pretty much like the ones that Amazon’s delivery drivers have been racing around in for the past couple of years. They also offer the same basic set of features such as LED headlights, a rear door that rolls up, a huge touchscreen, and a cargo area that can be configured in a wide variety of different ways. Some of these will end up in delivery fleets, but others will likely go to electricians, plumbers, and construction workers, so versatility is very important. Rivian notes that it will make numerous options available, including shelving and flooring.
Rivian lists two variants of the van called Delivery 500 and Delivery 700, respectively, on its website. Priced at $79,900, the 500 features 487 cubic feet of cargo space, a 2,663-pound payload, and 161 miles of range. It certainly doesn’t qualify for the coveted “long-range” label, but that should be enough for drivers who mostly work in big urban centers. Priced at $83,900, the 700 is a longer and wider version of the 500 with 652 cubic feet of cargo space, a 2,258-pound payload, and 160 miles of range. Both versions have a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,500 pounds.
As of writing, the only major purchase agreement announced by Rivian was signed with AT&T in 2023. The company said that it will buy electric vans as part of a pilot program launched to test how it can integrate EVs into its fleet. There’s no word on many vans it plans to buy or whether any have been delivered. The United States Postal Service tested Rivian vans in early 2024 as part of a pilot program but didn’t place an order.
Branching out to fleets puts Rivian in direct competition with Chevrolet, whose BrightDrop van is aimed at fleet buyers as well. Also offered with a short and a long wheelbase, the BrightDrop starts at $77,900 with 412 cubic feet of cargo space, a 3,710-pound payload, and 159 miles of range.
Rivian hasn’t announced when or if it will sell its delivery van to private buyers.
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