‘Future of last mile delivery’: Amazon reveals first custom electric delivery vehicle built with Rivian

Amazon is lifting the hood on one of three custom-designed electric delivery vans it built in partnership with Rivian.

 The new vehicle is 100% electric and features various technology such as sensor detection, exterior cameras that provide 360-degree views, Alexa voice integration, and more.

“We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here-the future of last mile delivery,” Ross Rachey, director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products, said in a blog post.

Rachey noted that Amazon is working to build technology that supports physical charging infrastructure and “enhancements and optimization of our delivery stations.”

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Amazon taps truck startup Rivian to build 100,000 electric vans

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Rivian, the startup electric truck manufacturer, will build 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles exclusively for Amazon beginning in 2021, the companies said. — Amazon/dpa

Rivian, the startup electric truck manufacturer, will build 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles exclusively for Amazon beginning in 2021, the companies have announced.

The huge order by Amazon represents a previously unrevealed commercial vehicle to be designed and built at Rivian’s factory in downstate Normal, alongside the manufacturer’s consumer-focused electric truck and SUV lines. Online retail giant Amazon is also a significant investor in Rivian.

“This has been in the works for some time,” Rivian spokeswoman Amy Mast said Thursday. “The idea that you can marry consumer applications to these more commercial applications … is just really exciting.”

Target production is to have 10,000 electric delivery vans on the road for Amazon by late 2022, ramping up to the full 100,000 order by 2030. The first of the new vans are expected to begin delivering packages in 2021, the companies said.

Continue reading… “Amazon taps truck startup Rivian to build 100,000 electric vans”