Meet The RVian, A GMC Motorhome-Inspired Take On Rivian's Delivery Van

Late last year, Rivian's partnership with Amazon finally bore some fruit – an all-electric delivery van. Amazon is pretty hot on cutting its carbon footprint, though the boxy EV has started turning the imaginative gears in some. The squared-off proportions and high roof would make an exceptional candidate for a motorhome conversion, and that's what artist Alex Alexanian did, building off of the GMC Motorhome the automaker offered in the 1970s.

The rendering, posted to the Classics GMC Motorhomes Facebook group, takes the large Amazon Van and extends the wheelbase while adding a third axle for a total of two at the rear, just like the GMC Motorhome. Along the side are large windows that mimic the windows layout of the GMC – two behind the driver cabin and another all the way at the rear, which would allow for a lot of natural light. However, the cutely named RVian lacks the wild aesthetics of the 1970s (below, right).

GMC launched the Motorhome in 1972 after introducing it in the late 1960s as a concept. It was available in two lengths – 23 and 26 feet – and was offered in "TransMode" as an empty shell for customers to personalize. The same year GMC rolled out the Motorhome, Chevy toyed with the idea of producing its own called the Chalet Royale, which featured a unique front fascia and flat glass. However, it never entered production.

An all-electric motorhome is an enticing idea as automakers continue to shift toward that. Amazon plans to have 10,000 electric delivery trucks on the road by 2022 and 100,000 by 2030. The van is mor than just a van, too. The Rivian van features driver-assist technology, the latest safety gadgets, and a 360-degree camera system. All those systems could be integrated into a motorhome. Electricity is already changing how motorhomes operate, so a fully electric one feels inevitable.