Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Claire McDonough, the CFO from the electric vehicle maker Rivian, teased on Tuesday that the company is in discussions with potential clients to use their electric commercial vans.
Over the last few months, images appeared on social media of several vehicles branded by DHL fueling speculation about a forthcoming collaboration between the electric vehicle manufacturer and the global logistics giant.
Two months ago two units were spotted being transported in the United States followed by several more units seen parked at Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois.
This Wednesday, a new image was shared on social media showing a Rivian commercial van in active use by DHL, sporting the company’s distinctive red and yellow branding.
The vans are equipped with features such as automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, 360-degree visibility, a 15.6-inch touch display, and a 360-degree camera system.
Earlier this week, McDonough highlighted Rivian‘s strong relationship with Amazon, its largest shareholder and commercial customer while teasing future partners.
“Today we’re just building on a single shift in normal for our commercial vans and not even a full shift at that. We’ve talked a lot in the past about the longer term sales cycle required for the commercial van business itself. So we’re in market speaking to a number of large B2B enterprise players about the capabilities, the total cost of ownership advantages that our vans can provide,” McDonough said.
The company is in discussions with other enterprise clients to expand its commercial van business, which has a capacity of 65,000 units at the Normal facility.
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“And we truly believe it is best-in-class in terms of performance within the commercial van space in the market itself. But it will take us some time to build up more of the longer term demand trajectory, you know, beyond the Amazon relationship that we have as well,” the chief financial officer added.
The electric vehicle manufacturer, known for its light and commercial EVs, is targeting production of 57,000 units this year. Rivian recently unveiled its second-generation R1 models, which incorporate new technology and features designed to lower production costs and improve manufacturing efficiency.
The chief executive RJ Scaringe has recently shared that the company was able to reduce the components in the battery pack from 41 to 16.
Rivian’s R2 and R3 vehicles are slated for launch in early 2026. The R2, with a starting price of $45,000, shares much of its electronic architecture with the new R1s, allowing for streamlined production and reduced costs. The company aims to make these models globally accessible, expanding its market reach beyond North America.
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Rivian Automotive has successfully cleared its inventory of the 2023 and 2024 R1T and R1S models following significant discounts announced in April and May, videos shared on social media show.
Over the last few days, Rivian‘s Vice President of Software Wassym Bensaid took to Reddit to address questions and provide updates on the company’s Gen 1 vehicles, assuring owners that their cars will continue to receive significant improvements through over-the-air (OTA) updates, even as Gen 2 models boast enhanced features.
Rivian will also introduce native support for streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal via its Connect+ platform, leveraging both vehicle connectivity and an impending phone tethering feature.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe attended recently the Bernstein’s Annual Conference in New York where he revealed that the R3, expected to be launched in early 2026, will be priced at “mid to high $30,000s”.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
