Amazon has introduced 10,000 Rivian-crafted electric delivery vans within the United States.
This milestone was announced during Amazon's "Delivering the Future" event and is an initiative, coupled with the $ 2 billion climate fund of the company, that reinforces its dedication to leading the charge towards a net-zero future.
Both are unprecedented moves towards sustainability and increased delivery efficiency. Read more about them right below!
Amazon's Partnership With Rivian
The new 10,000 electric vans of Amazon are a fruit of the partnership between the tech giant and Rivian, a renowned automaker in which Amazon holds a stake. The 2019 deal between the two companies has a goal of launching a minimum of 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by 2030. This commitment aligns with Amazon's ambitious climate pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Commencing operations in the summer of 2022, the eco-friendly delivery vans are now delivering packages across numerous cities in the US. Presently, they are functional in about 1,800 cities nationwide.
Their success on home soil has paved the way for their expansion to Europe, with Amazon recently revealing plans to expand their fleet with over 300 vans in Germany.
Rivian's Contributions
Rivian's contributions to this green initiative are not confined to the custom electric delivery van. The automaker has also crafted two other vehicles: the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV, both consumer EVs. It is expected that Rivian will produce 52,000 vehicles in total, including Amazon's vans, by the end of this year.
And What About The Electric Vans?
The electric vans produced at Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, retain some aesthetic features of their gas-powered counterparts but with a sleeker design due to rounded edges. However, the real revolution about all of them lies in the electric architecture and exclusive features, including:
- highway driving assist;
- exterior cameras that provide a 360-degree view for the driver via a digital display; and
- surround taillights for enhanced brake visibility.
And there is more! Amazon has also initiated a $2 billion climate fund to back startups that are in line with its vision of a net-zero future. Some of the beneficiaries of this investment are Rivian, Redwood Materials, CarbonCure Technologies, Pachama, and Turntide Technologies.
A vision of sustainability + a solid commitment towards combatting climate change? Checked! At least for now.
