Amazon Shows Prototype of Its Rivian-Built Electric Van

The working prototype is one of three different models that will begin delivering goods in 2021.

• Amazon unveiled a working prototype of its Rivian-built electric delivery vans.
• The van will have Alexa integration, delivery optimization software, and safety features including a bulkhead door and multiple cameras for a 360-degree view around the van.
• The electric Rivian vans will start deliveries in 2021 and Amazon says that there will 100,000 thousand in its fleet by 2030.

We've seen renderings. We've seen clay models. Now Amazon and Rivian are showing off a working prototype of one of the Amazon delivery vans that will start appearing on roads and delivering packages in 2021. The vehicle is one of three models that will be built by Rivian for Amazon. In all, Amazon says that its electric fleet of delivery vans will number 100,000 by 2030.

The prototype takes information Amazon sourced from working with drivers to see how the vehicle could make their jobs easier, adjusting the workspace based on their feedback making it it easier to get in and out of the vehicle.

In addition to the expected built-in delivery optimization system and voice controls with Alexa, Amazon and Rivian have added driver-assistance technology for highway driving, exterior cameras to give the driver a 360-degree view of the exterior of the van, a strengthened driver's door in case of collision, a large brake-light array that starts at the midway point of the rear pillar and reaches all the way to the other side of the van over the top of the rear door, a bulkhead door that slides up and down instead of out, and something Amazon is calling a "dance floor" inside the cabin, which really just means there's more room to move about. Of course, if a driver has time we suppose they could dance.

The van has an expected range of 150 miles, and the prototype Amazon is showing off today is a delivery-capable vehicle, according to Rivian. The Amazon vans, like other Rivian vehicles, will be built on the company's "skateboard" platform. The automaker has its own 2021 R1T electric pickup and 2021 R1S EV SUV in the pipeline and has partnered with and has financial backing from Amazon and Ford.

The electric Rivian vans are part of Amazon's pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040. Considering how many vehicles the online retailer already has on the road delivering packages, replacing those with electric vans is a huge step in that process.