Business owners looking for electric delivery vans now have a new option as Rivian has opened sales to companies of all sizes. The move comes after Amazon’s exclusivity deal with Rivian ended in 2023.
Background on Rivian and Amazon Deal
In 2019, Amazon commissioned Rivian to build 100,000 electric vans by 2030, with the e-commerce giant paying for exclusive rights to the vehicle until 2023. As a result of this deal, Amazon currently operates over 20,000 Rivian vans. However, with the exclusivity period ending, Rivian has expanded its customer base to include other companies such as AT&T.
Availability and Pricing
The Rivian van is available in two sizes: the $79,900 RCV 500 and the larger $83,900 RCV 700. The naming convention reflects the storage capacity of each model, with 487 and 652 cubic feet respectively. Both models have a payload capacity of just over 2,500 pounds. The smaller RCV 500 has a slightly higher range at 161 miles compared to the 153 miles of the RCV 700. Both variants support J1772 and CCS1 charging with DC fast charging speeds up to 100 kW.
Purchase Requirements
While Rivian is now selling to businesses of all sizes, it still maintains a restriction on sales to individual consumers. To purchase a Rivian van, buyers must have a business license, and the vehicle must be registered to the business entity. This means that individuals looking to buy the van for personal use, such as ‘Vanlifers,’ would need to establish a business entity to be eligible for purchase.
“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,” said Tom Solomon, senior director of business development at Rivian. “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.”
