Over the weekend, a pair of Rivian EDV 500 vans were spotted testing on public streets. The Instagram post by Kindelauto shows a pair of the shorter EDV 500s on a California road.
The EDV 500 is a smaller, more compact delivery van that Amazon will use. The van has a capacity of 500 cubic feet (hence the name) which makes it an excellent vehicle for inner-city last-mile deliveries. The vehicle will also have a driving range of 150 miles (241km) and a similar gross vehicle weight rating as the EDV 700, which as you guessed has 700 cubic feet of storage.
It is not clear if these are pre-production models or testing units, but it is clear that Rivian EDV 500 production is on the horizon.
Rivian did not confirm if the EDV 500 is in production or if they are still focusing on the EDV 700 for its massive 100,000 Amazon vehicle order. Per the original order, Amazon would receive a mix of EDV 700s, EDV 500s and the larger EDV 900s. However, we have not seen any EDV 900s produced or marked up.
Amazon’s exclusivity deal for the EDV is also in jeopardy. With low delivery numbers Rivian is reportedly seeking to end the exclusivity part of their deal with Amazon, a move which would allow them to sell to other companies. Amazon originally intended to buy 100,000, but has so far only ordered 10,000.
