A Rivian electric delivery van bearing the Cintas logo was spotted over the weekend, suggesting the US uniform and safety supplier may be testing the vehicle or has became a commercial fleet customers.
The van, featured in a video posted by YouTube user ‘viplav76,’ offered a close look at both the interior and exterior of the Cintas-branded vehicle.
Rivian owner and enthusiast Chris Hilbert later noted on X that the vehicle said “First Aid & Safety” on the side, “which means it’s probably providing PPE [personal protective equipment] related items to businesses.”
Three years ago, Cintas announced the launch of an EV truck pilot program, in which the company evaluated seventeen different vehicles from five manufacturers.
As part of its Net Zero ambition, the company aimed to phase out fossil-fuel-powered vehicles from its fleet and reduce its carbon emissions.
By then, Cintas already operated one of the largest corporate fleets in both the US and Canada, with nearly 14,000 commercial vehicles deployed.
The company ended up extending its partnership with Motiv Power Systems, purchasing 30 more vans after it piloted seven in Michigan, New York, and California.
In February, Rivian began taking orders for its electric delivery van, which it had previously produced exclusively for Amazon.
However, since then, the company has only publicly announced a partnership with HelloFresh, its “first major fleet customer,” to which it delivered 70 vehicles in April.
Amazon, which backed the project in 2019, is Rivian‘s largest institutional shareholder. The retail giant began deploying the custom-built vans in mid-2022.
As of the end of June, Amazon had more than 30,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian operating in the United States, up from 20,000 reported at the end of last year.
Rivian committed to deploy 100,000 commercial vans to the retail giant by 2030.
Last month, when questioned if the 100,000 Amazon units were still on track, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe reaffirmed the target and said that Rivian is already “thinking about what comes beyond that initial 100,000 unit contract.”
However, just a day later, Amazon confirmed it is piloting General Motors’ BrightDrop electric delivery vans, raising concerns about the EV maker’s exclusive role in Amazon’s decarbonization push.
Rivian delivered 13,201 vehicles in the third quarter, experiencing a surge in demand as the end of the EV credit approached.
The company, which includes EDV deliveries in the results, does not break down figures by model.
According to a recent report by Cox Automotive, however, 2,639 of the total 13,201 vehicles delivered between July and September were commercial vans.
In the first nine months of the year, the company delivered a total 6,809 EDVs, 24.6% below 9,026 units from the same period in 2024.
