Amazon and Rivian revealed a custom electric delivery van onThursday that is set to hit the road next year.
The new EV is in line with Amazon’s commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040 through the Climate Pledge.
The vehicles will begin delivering packages in 2021, and 10,000 electric delivery vans will be manufactured by 2022, Amazon said in a blog post. By 2030, 100,000 electric delivery vans will be in commission. The vehicles will be manufactured at Rivian’s plant in Normal, Ill., according to an Amazon spokeswoman.
“When we set out to create our first customized electric delivery vehicle with Rivian, we knew that it needed to far surpass any other delivery vehicle,” Ross Rachey, director of global fleet and products for Amazon, said in a statement.
“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. We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here — the future of last-mile delivery.”
Rivian and Amazon also made safety a top priority of the vehicle by implementing sensor detection, visibility, exterior cameras, Alexa and bright taillights for brake notification.
More features of the van can be seen in this Amazon Video.
“We prioritized safety and functionality to create a vehicle that’s optimized for package delivery,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in the statement. “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.”
The van can travel up to 150 miles on a charge and is the first of three electric vehicle models that Amazon and Rivian are launching.
To reach its goals with the Climate Pledge, Amazon is adding 1,800 electric delivery vehicles this year to its European fleet, 10,000 electric delivery vehicles to its Indian fleet and using e-cargo bikes for deliveries in urban areas in the EU and New York City.