A year after first announcing plans to purchase 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian, Amazon has given us an up close look at the first custom built prototype.
Amazon joined The Climate Pledge in 2019, which aims to bring the online retail giant to be net zero carbon by 2040, the first 10,000 electric delivery vans are expected on the roads by 2022.
Amazon worked closely with Rivian during the development of the vehicle, keeping both their delivery drivers and customers in mind.
“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,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO. “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 electric van features a number of unique safety features and driver-assist systems. It also has exterior cameras to give drivers a complete 360° view of the outside of the vehicle from the driver’s seat.
Other features that the company claims will make life easier for delivery drivers include:
- A strengthened door on the driver’s side for additional protection.
- A “dancefloor” inside the driver’s cabin for easy movement inside the van.
- Three levels of shelving with a bulkhead door, which can easily be opened and closed for additional driver protection while on the road.
Unsurprisingly, there will also be Alexa integration to allow drivers to have hands-free access to route information and the latest weather updates.
