After purchasing 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vehicles, Amazon has started testing them on different routes in Los Angeles. The trials are being conducted to check the performance, safety, and durability of the vans. This is being done before they start to roll out to as many as 16 cities in 2021.
The deal between Amazon and Rivian uses a customizable “skateboard” frame construction. This will create a first-of-a-kind “all-electric-delivery vehicle”. This is indeed going to be the fastest modern commercial electrification program. The electric van is yet to be given a name but it has a clean, cutesy design. Credit goes to the smooth angles and round low-mounted headlights.
The model that is currently being tested has a 150-mile range. Amazon and Rivian will build different powertrain and battery configurations for regions based on the terrain and weather. The vehicle also features 360-degree cameras for safety. It also gets a huge light bar for improved visibility and a vehicle guidance system with Alexa voice control.
Rivian and Amazon are still fine-tuning their vehicles before they go into full production by the end of 2021. Amazon has already installed “thousands” of charging stations at its delivery hubs in North America and Europe. It plans to have 10,000 of its vehicles on the roads by 2022 before eventually operating the 100,000-strong fleet. Alongside being a customer, Amazon is also Rivian’s owner having led a $700 million investment round in early 2019. This is one of the fastest modern commercial electrification programs.
