It has been a little over a year since Amazon first announced that electric startup, Rivian, would be producing 100,000 electric delivery vans for the e-commerce giant. Yesterday Amazon gave us some new looks at their electric delivery van, including some shots of the interior, as they try to make good on their pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040.
The electric van from Rivian will reach 10,000 units on the road by 2022 and the full 100,000 by 2030. The van will be one of their three custom models that Amazon has invested in.
Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products commented on the electric van, saying:
“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. 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.”
The exterior has been known to us for a while now, but we finally got our first look at the interior. Being a work van there is no need for any superfluous additions, the interior is pretty simple relative to any other EV, but leagues better than any current delivery van. The interior features a decently comfortable looking seat, plenty of visibility, and two big screens, one being the steering wheel, and one in the center console angled towards the driver.
Along with giving us a look at the inside, Amazon also outlined some features within the van, like Alexa integration, because it wouldn’t be an Amazon product otherwise:
-
- State-of-the-art sensor detection, a suite of highway and traffic assist technology, and a large windshield to enhance driver visibility.
- Exterior cameras around the vehicle that are linked to a digital display inside the cabin, giving the driver a 360-degree view outside the vehicle.
- Alexa integration for hands-free access to route information and the latest weather updates.
- A strengthened door on the driver’s side for additional protection.
- A “dancefloor” inside the driver’s cabin for easy movement inside the van.
- Bright tail lights surrounding the rear of the vehicle to easily detect braking.
- Three levels of shelving with a bulkhead door, which can easily be opened and closed for additional driver protection while on the road.
RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO, also commented on the van as his company prepares to debut their debut models to the public:
“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.”
How do you guys feel about the Amazon electric delivery van (which I hope gets a shorter name soon)? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: Amazon