Rivian Opens Sales of The Rivian Commercial Van to Fleets

On February 10, 2025, Rivian announced that it is now opening sales of its Rivian Commercial Van to fleets of all sizes across the US. This van, which serves as the base for Amazon’s custom electric delivery vans, is designed with a focus on safety, driver comfort, total cost of ownership, and sustainability. It includes advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and 360-degree visibility, making it one of the safest vehicles on the road.

After completing its exclusivity period with Amazon, Rivian has been testing the commercial van with large US fleets, refining its fleet management process. The van is available in two sizes, the 500 and 700, with a payload capacity of up to 2,663 lbs and a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of up to 9,500 lbs. Additionally, Rivian’s proprietary software stack controls many aspects of the vehicle, such as unlocking, charging, and acceleration, to enhance safety, productivity, and cost efficiency.

Tom Solomon, Senior Director, Business Development, Rivian, spoke about the van.

“Through existing partnerships our commercial vans have already proved incredibly successful. Amazon currently has more than 20,000 in its fleet and delivered over a billion packages from its Electric Delivery Vans in 2024 alone. Over the last year we have been focusing our efforts on testing with some larger fleets, and we’re really pleased with how those trials have gone. As a result, we’re excited to now be able to open sales to fleets of all sizes in the US, whether they want 1 van or thousands. Our vehicles are designed to not only be among the safest on the road, but will also help fleet owners to reduce the cost of fleet ownership and their carbon footprint,” said Solomon.

Electric Commercial Vans and Electric Last-Mile Delivery

After testing its commercial vans with companies like AT&T, Rivian is ready to open up orders to other businesses. Rivian seeks to capitalize on the burgeoning electric vehicle market for last-mile delivery, an industry that is seeing rapid growth.

The commercial van industry has been dominated by Mercedes-Benz AG and Ford, with their Sprinter and Transit vans respectively. Both have now entered the electric van market, offering electric versions of their well-established delivery vehicles.

In 2024, Ford Motor Company reported a 64% increase in E-Transit sales, totaling 12,610 units. With a total of around 150,000 commercial vans sold in the US last year, Ford Pro, Ford’s commercial unit, continues to build momentum.

Mercedes just launched its electric Sprinter van, the eSprinter, in the US market in Q4 of 2024, with sales modest at 828 units. However, MB remains a heavy hitter in the overall market, selling 49,500 commercial vans in the US last year alone.

Global Market Insights (GMI) forecasts that the global commercial van market will nearly double over the next decade, expanding from $109.4 billion in 2024 to $210.3 billion by 2034.

The global e-commerce delivery market was valued at $426.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a 14% CAGR, reaching approximately $1.58 trillion by 2034.

The growing popularity of electric vehicles in commercial delivery applications plays perfectly into Rivian’s strategy. Its electric vans align well with the “duty cycle” typical of last-mile delivery, which often involves frequent stops, short-range driving, and tight urban routes.

Electric vans offer a compelling solution for last-mile delivery, with benefits ranging from lower emissions to reduced operating costs.

Amazon’s electric delivery vans from Rivian

In November, Amazon reaffirmed its commitment to decarbonizing its delivery fleet, having rolled out over 20,000 custom electric delivery vans across the U.S. Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019, pledging to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. As part of this initiative, Amazon partnered with Rivian in 2019 to bring 100,000 electric delivery vehicles to the road by 2030, however only 20,000 of these vans are currently in use.

This collaboration has led to the development of a new, state-of-the-art electric delivery van designed to help Amazon meet its sustainability goals. With these goals, Amazon will eliminate millions of metric tons of carbon per year. The company did not reveal which automaker would be supplying the remaining electric vans, now that the exclusivity deal between Amazon and Rivian has ended. EVinfo.net recommends all Rivian vehicles.