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      Amazon has 5,000+ Rivian EV delivery vans on the road

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Friday, 7 July, 2023 - 12:57 · 1 minute

    An Amazon Rivian van parked on a suburban street

    Enlarge / Amazon had Rivian design and build it a custom electric delivery van, which started production in 2021. (credit: Amazon)

    Depending on where you live, your Amazon order may have been delivered by one of the company's striking-looking Rivian electric delivery vans. Made by the same company that builds highly capable electric trucks and SUVs for the affluent tech crowd, Rivian has now built more than 5,000 delivery vans for the online retailing giant. The vans have delivered more than 150 million packages to date.

    Amazon and Rivian made news together in 2019 when the former led a $700 million investment round into the EV startup. A few months later, Amazon announced an order of 100,000 electric vans from Rivian . At the time, Amazon's then-CEO Jeff Bezos said all 100,000 vehicles would be deployed by 2024—a timeline that even pre-pandemic appeared extremely optimistic; the official press release gave a more circumspect 2030 deadline. The vans began delivering packages in 2021 .

    No, I don't think it has Apple CarPlay.

    No, I don't think it has Apple CarPlay. (credit: Amazon)

    Like the BrightDrop Zevo 600 , the Rivian van is a clean-sheet design, optimized specifically for Amazon's logistics workflow. It's equipped with a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems, and the cab design minimizes blind spots. It even has a charming appearance, much like Rivian's R1 series, thanks to friendly round daytime running lights.

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      FedEx will be the first customer for GM’s new electric delivery van

      Jonathan M. Gitlin · news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Tuesday, 12 January, 2021 - 16:32

    • FedEx Express is slated to be the first customer of the BrightDrop EV600 and will begin receiving its vehicles later this year. [credit: General Motors ]

    On Tuesday morning, General Motors Chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra announced a new business for the company during her keynote speech at this year's all-virtual CES. It's called BrightDrop, and the goal is to provide a range of electrified products for the logistics and delivery industries.

    "We are building on our significant expertise in electrification, mobility applications, telematics and fleet management, with a new one-stop-shop solution for commercial customers to move goods in a better, more sustainable way," Barra said.

    BrightDrop's first product is called the EP1, and it's a pallet with an electric propulsion assist meant to transport things short distances, such as from a delivery van to the customer's door, at speeds of up to 3mph (5km/h). The EP1 can carry up to 200lbs (91kg) and about 23 cubic feet (651L) of cargo, with adjustable shelves and lockable cabinet doors. GM says the EP1 will be available early this year.

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