E-commerce giant Amazon has begun deploying its Rivian-made Electric Delivery Vehicle (EDV) to Europe, with the German subsidiary being the first to get the electric van.
The 300+ Amazon EDVs shipped to Germany will operate from Amazon sites in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Munich in the next few weeks, adding to the existing 1,000 electric vans from other brands that are already part of the company's fleet in the country.
"Together, Amazon and Rivian have developed and produced a state-of-the-art electric vehicle from scratch. It's unlike anything currently on the road. The safety and comfort of our partner drivers have the highest priority for us. With the vehicle that we are presenting in Germany today, we are setting new standards in terms of both aspects."
Neil Emery, Director Global Fleet & Product at Amazon
While the 3,000 EDVs that currently operate in 500 US cities and regions are both in EDV 500 and EDV 700 specification (with 500 or 700 cubic feet of storage, respectively), the European version is the shorter and narrower EDV 500, Rivian told InsideEVs.
The EDV 500 is 248 inches (6,300 millimeters) long and it has a wheelbase of 157 in (4,000 mm), compared to the EDV 700's length of 277 in (7,000 mm) and wheelbase of 187 in (4,700 mm). The EDV 500 is also 7 in (180 mm) narrower than the EDV 700.
Gallery: Amazon Electric Delivery Vehicle
Amazon says that pre-release versions of the new European-spec EDVs have been thoroughly tested by its drivers in Germany since last year. This allowed Rivian to optimize the performance, safety, and durability of its vehicle in different weather and geographical conditions.
The e-commerce company says that the EDV's features have also been improved to ensure driver satisfaction and the overall functionality of the vehicle. The Euro-spec EDV 500 features a collision-warning system, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic door locks, a powered bulkhead, dedicated software package, and more.
Amazon said it delivered more than 45 million packages in Germany using electric vans and e-cargo bikes last year, and the new Rivian EDVs will help it deliver even more packages in a sustainable manner.
The company plans to invest more than $1.09 billion (1 billion euros) to electrify its European transport network and reduce CO2 emissions in the coming years, with Germany accounting for more than $436 million (400 million euros) of the grand total.
In September 2019, Amazon placed an order for 100,000 Rivian EDVs as part of its Climate Pledge goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. According to the deal, Rivian will have to deliver the entire fleet of 100,000 vans by 2030.
