Just one short year after announcing The Climate Pledge, Amazon has revealed its first custom electric delivery vehicle. Designed and built in partnership with Rivian, Amazon plans to have 10,000 of its custom electric delivery vehicles on the road and delivering to customers as early as 2022. 

Why is Amazon working with Rivian?

As part of ‘The Climate Pledge,’ Amazon has big plans to be net-zero carbon by 2040. To help achieve such a lofty goal, the tech giant has teamed up with Rivian to build out a fleet of 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles by 2030. Ten thousand of those vehicles are expected to arrive by 2022, with the remaining hitting the streets by 2030.   

But why is Amazon working with Rivian specifically? Unfortunately for the tech giant, it could not find an electric delivery vehicle capable of meeting its drivers and delivery operations’ needs. Rather than twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the automotive industry to catch up to its needs, Amazon took matters into its own hands.

Together with Rivian, Amazon has been steadfast in creating an electric delivery vehicle that fits its needs. And, according to Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products, Amazon’s all-new fleet is going to reset industry expectations for electric delivery vehicle capabilities.

Rivian’s approach to Amazon’s all-electric fleet

According to Rachey, when it came to creating Amazon’s first customized electric delivery vehicle with Rivian, the company knew that it would have to surpass any other delivery vehicle currently on the road today.

“We wanted drivers to love using it and customers to feel excited when they saw it driving through their neighborhood and pulling up to their home,” Rachey explained. “We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here-the future of last mile delivery.”

RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO, added, “The vehicle we’ve developed with Amazon is not just electric. We prioritized safety and functionality to create a vehicle that’s optimized for package delivery. We thought through how drivers get in and out of the van, what the work space feels like and what the work flow is for delivering packages.”

A preview of Amazon’s all-electric fleet

Now that Amazon has given us a few details about its all-new delivery vans, we can say that they are pretty impressive. Rivian has packed Amazon’s fleet of custom electric delivery vans with industry-leading safety, navigation, and design features.

To provide drivers with the ultimate in visibility, Rivian equipped these vans with state-of-the-art sensor detection, a suite of highway and traffic assist technology, and a large windshield. Each van also comes equipped with exterior cameras that give the driver a 360-degree view outside of the vehicle. 

Additional safety features include bright tail lights at the rear of the vehicle so others can easily detect when the van is braking. It also features a strengthened driver’s side door for added protection.

And inside of this custom electric delivery van? A spacious floor inside of the driver’s cabin makes for more effortless movement. Alexa integration also provides drivers with hands-free access to navigation and weather updates. 

Is Amazon using electric delivery vehicles already?

It is! While Amazon’s partnership with Rivian is undoubtedly exciting, the tech giant already has hundreds of electric delivery vehicles on the road today. Those numbers will be on the rise soon, though, as Amazon recently announced it’s adding 1,800 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet in Europe this year and is also adding 10,000 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet in India.