Rivian has a lot on its plate right now, partnering with Ford on a Lincoln-badged electric SUV and preparing its own R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck to enter production late this year. In its free time, seemingly, the upstart electric carmaker has plans to build 100,000 delivery vans for Amazon. From what we can tell in a newly released video, the first Rivian-built van has finally been delivered, and there is a ton of neat features you might not expect to find find on a delivery vehicle.
There are a host a new safety features included with the van, too. A 360-degree view camera, various driver assistance aids, and a strengthened driver’s side door all make the van a more safe place for delivery drivers while giving them a better idea of what’s around the van. There are also bright tail lights that surround the rear of the truck, making it easier for other motorists to see. There is also what Amazon is calling a “dancefloor” in the cabin, making it easier for the driver to move around inside.
An older video gave us insight into how Amazon’s project was coming along, and it was interesting to get a sneak peak at the van that will likely become a mainstay on American roads. It reveals several tantalizing nuggets about the adorably wide-eyed Amazon van, which is shaping up to resemble the Baby Yoda of delivery vehicles. One older design sketch hints at a removable bumper, which is made in three separate sections that are easy to replace. Another depicts cargo bins fitted with magnets to help keep them upright.
The electric vans will begin delivery duty next year, and Rivian has said it wants to have 10,000 vans on the road as early as 2022. (All 100,000 vans, by the way, are expected to arrive by 2030.) Meanwhile, Tesla has picked up quite a few early customers for its semi-truck, including Wal-Mart, so Rivian isn’t alone in the budding electric commercial vehicle space. Rivian is getting some help pushing the Amazon van towards reality—one year ago, it was announced that Amazon was a leading contributor in a $700 million investment for the automaker, and Ford, too, has injected a large sum of cash into the EV maker.
