While the R1T is still a rare sight, Rivian’s Amazon delivery vehicle will soon be spotted in countless cities across the country. The retailer revealed the vehicles are being rolled out in cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. However, this is just the beginning as Amazon expects to be using the electric van in more than 100 cities by the end of the year. The nationwide rollout has been a long time coming as the partnership was originally announced in 2019. The companies have been testing the van since 2021 and they have already delivered over 430,000 packages as well as traveled more than 90,000 miles (144,841 km).
Amazon says this testing was important as
it allowed “Rivian to continuously improve the vehicle’s performance, safety
and durability in various climates and geographies as well as its
state-of-the-art features to ensure driver satisfaction, and overall
functionality.”
While the companies haven’t revealed many
specifications about the van, which is known as the EDV-700, Amazon said it was
“designed from the ground-up with safety, sustainability, and comfort in mind.”
In particular, the model features a large windshield for improved visibility as
well as safety features such as automatic emergency braking and a collision
warning system. The model also has adaptive cruise control, an ergonomically
designed cockpit, and a strengthened door on the driver’s side for additional
protection.
To make deliveries easier, the van is
equipped with a powered bulkhead door as well as a passive entry system. The
model also sports “first-of-its-kind embedded technology that fully integrates
the delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing,
navigation, driver support and more.” Amazon has plans to deploy 100,000
electric delivery vehicles by 2030 and the company says this will prevent
millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the
atmosphere every year.
