In 2019, Amazon announced an order of 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from then-startup Rivian, and the two companies collaborated to design a new state-of-the-art EV. Amazon began rolling out the new electric vans in the summer of 2022. The company says it now has 3,000 Rivian vans in service across the US, along with 2,000 electric delivery vans from other manufacturers. (The retail whale has also ordered delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, and Class 6 and 8 electric trucks from Lion Electric.)

Now Amazon has announced the arrival of its first wave of Rivian vans in Europe. More than 300 Rivians will hit the strassen in the German cities of Munich, Berlin and Dusseldorf in the coming weeks. Amazon also has “thousands” of electric vans in operation in Europe, including more than 1,000 in Germany. Amazon announced last year that it plans to invest more than €1 billion to electrify its European transportation network and reduce carbon emissions over the coming years.

“Together, Amazon and Rivian designed and built a state-of-the-art electric vehicle from the ground up, and unlike anything else on the road today,” said Neil Emery, Amazon’s Director, Global Fleet & Product. “The safety and comfort of our drivers were top of mind for us throughout this process, and we’ve raised the bar on both with the vehicle we are rolling out in Europe today.”

Worldwide, Amazon has deployed some 15 different EV models, including delivery vehicles, e-cargo bikes and e-rickshaws, in the US, the EU and India.

News of the delivery, Rivian’s first commercial shipment outside the US, along with this week’s second-quarter delivery numbers, has sent RIVN stock through the roof over the past few days. Earlier this week, Rivian reported Q2 production of 13,992 vehicles, exceeding estimates, and reaffirmed plans to more than double output to 50,000 vehicles this year.

“The EDV [electric delivery van] was designed in conjunction with our partners at Amazon and not only puts driver convenience and safety first but also the environment,” said Rivian VP of Strategy Dagan Mishoulam. “We’ve had incredible feedback from drivers in the US, and we’re excited to start international expansion in Germany.”

Sources: Amazon, Bloomberg, Reuters