Rivian Wants to Make Amazon Delivery Truck Less Exclusive
You might have noticed a new Amazon truck delivering your packages in recent months. Amazon and Rivian are partnered to make an electric delivery truck that feels modern and operates efficiently. And as it stands, this delivery truck is exclusive to Amazon. With new talks in the works, that could change.
Who makes Amazon delivery trucks?
Since July of last year, Amazon has been rolling out Rivian delivery trucks to ensure packages get to where they need to go. These delivery vehicles are fully electric and purpose-built to handle what Amazon needs from them.
That means specially-designed storage areas, modern safety tech, and various features that help drivers quickly deliver packages. And so far, it seems like these EVs have been fairly successful. I have seen more than a few around the Kansas City area, and it certainly looks like they nailed the friendly design that Rivian was going for.
Rivian delivery trucks could soon be used by more companies
When Rivian and Amazon entered an agreement to design and build a new delivery truck, an exclusivity clause was added. This means that only Amazon is authorized to buy and use these EVs.
Because Rivian has been in a tight spot lately, the company is looking for more ways to raise revenue. And being able to sell this delivery van to folks other than just Amazon could help with that. According to CNBC, eliminating the clause would allow Rivian to pitch this electric van to more people.
Now, the relationship between Amazon and Rivian has not seemed to sour. A company spokesperson stated, “we continue to work together, and are navigating a changing economic climate, similar to many companies.”
The initial deal was for 100,000 electric trucks from Rivian to be supplied to Amazon. And since this truck entered service, over 10 million packages have been delivered with it.
Amazon is not the only one going electric
Amazon is not the only player in the delivery game going electric. You might have heard that the United States Postal Service is getting new electric mail trucks. The Oshkosh NGDV is not widely used yet, but it is going to replace the Grumman LLV.
The USPS also took delivery of a healthy supply of electric Ford trucks to help make deliveries. And that is a reflection of how EVs can be used practically. It’s not clear if the NGDV will last as long as the LLV. But it will be in service for a while.
If Rivian and Amazon can strike a deal to alter the exclusivity clause, we may see more companies and government agencies wanting to order the Rivian EDV. It offers a decent range, and it’s assembled in Illinois.
Going electric does mean having to deal with getting a charging infrastructure set up. But, the White House has signaled it is going to work to ramp that up across the United States. New automotive companies like Rivian are likely to be excited about that.
