Rivian expanding commercial EV division and pursuing new plant in Georgia

Rivian recently added a fleet section and a new electric van in the hopes of reeling in more commercial interest beyond its massive van order with Amazon.

The news comes as the Ford-backed California start-up pursues plans to expand its first plant in Illinois and break ground on a second auto plant in Georgia that will triple production—a welcomed move following a recent stock tumble brought on by a shareholder report that revealed a production slump in 2021.

Rivian’s website now includes a fleet tab which provides information on its Rivian Commercial Van (RCV) program including charging, fleet vehicle management through Rivian FleetOS and fleet vehicle options.

The only commercial EV currently shown on Rivian’s website is their EDV 700 van, 100,000 of which are destined for ecommerce giant Amazon. However, in a recent letter to shareholders, Rivian announced that the 700 cubic foot van will be joined by a smaller van, the EDV 500 next year. That van is narrower and shorter than the EDV 700.

Commercial electric vans purchased through Rivian are available with Rivian FleetOS, a telematics program.RivianIn its online fleet section, Rivian describes its commercial van lineup as “configurable models ranging from 450 to 900 cubic feet of cargo capacity with options for integrated factory upfitting.” So while a van larger than 700 cubic feet is available, it’s unclear if that vehicle is a separate model or a larger variant of the EDV 700.

Range listed for the EDV 700 tops out at 201 miles. It’s not clear if that range applies to the larger 900 cubic foot van. Range is not provided for the EDV 500. Payload capacity for the vans ranges from 1,960 pounds to 5,300 pounds.

Rivian aims to provide a turn-key commercial EV program which includes assessing fleet needs for charging and EV duty cycles. Rivian’s mobile service division can provide on-the-spot EV repairs and maintenance or transport the vehicle to a Rivian service center if needed.