Rivian is an innovative truck startup that partnered with Amazon to produce next-generation delivery vans. The partnership with Rivian is to build a sustainable transportation fleet according to Ross Rachey, Amazon’s director of global fleet and products. These electric-powered vehicles are to hit the road by the beginning of 2021 and will have saved million metric tons of carbon annually by 2030.
Amazon’s order of 100,000 electric vehicles is the largest ever from Rivian’s vehicle development center. This part of Amazon’s commitment to The Climate Pledge to meet the Paris Agreement. Signatories to the pledge have a goal to make net-zero carbon across their business operations by 2040.
Discover what Amazon's partnership with Rivian means to its staff and company operations.
Inspiration For The Next Generation Delivery Vehicle
The transportation team at Amazon evaluated the available electric vehicle options for 18 months to determine those that will help the company reduce its carbon footprint. Rachey’s team realized that none could meet Amazon’s current and future needs. So, the partnership with Rivian to create a custom electric delivery vehicle seemed more viable.
Special Features Of Amazon’s Electric Delivery Vehicle
The vehicle is undergoing manufacturing at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois plant in three size variants. These support multiple battery sizes to allow optimization for particular delivery routes. The vehicle will significantly improve driver safety and lessen carbon emissions. Besides, this delivery vehicle optimizes high tech and design elements for out-of-this-world driver experience.
This vehicle is fitted with a host of leading safety features including lane keep assist, auto emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and pedestrian warning system. Additionally, the delivery vehicle has an automatic warning to detect and alert distracted driver behavior.
Improved Driver Efficiency
The custom electric vehicle is an epitome of optimized driving efficiency. Every aspect of the vehicle’s design including driver ergonomics, cabin heating, and drivetrain design optimizes energy and time. According to R.J Scaringe, the CEO of Rivian, this delivery vehicle is bound to become the market game-changer to give other logistics players a dash for their money.
Embracing Green Technologies
The adoption of the electric vehicle by Amazon is bound to cause a ripple effect in the market. Investing in a fleet of 100,000 electric delivery vehicles is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to The Climate Pledge. It demonstrates the company’s adoption of green technologies. Investment in low carbon products and services allows decarbonized operations for a low-carbon world.
Seamless Driver Experience
The delivery team at Amazon looks forward to enjoying the various features in the vehicle’s functionality and design. These range from how easy it feels to get in and out, visibility, and loading and unloading packages. Incorporating Amazon’s technology, the electric vehicle features a central display screen and digital instrument cluster integrated into the company’s logistics management.
Integration of routing and package delivery technology with Amazon’s logistics management allows drivers to focus on operating the vehicle with ease. This system eliminates the need for extra devices to offer mapping and address details.
Drivers will request for help using simple voice commands in the cargo bay with the integration of Amazon’s Alexa. This allows sorting packages without manually entering commands or checking handheld devices.
Source: Aboutamazon