Rivian partnered with ABC’s medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” to custom build an electric ambulance for the show’s 22nd season, marking what producers say is an effort to start a trend toward zero-emission emergency vehicles.
The Shondaland-produced series worked with Rivian to convert one of the EV maker’s commercial vans into a functioning ambulance, replacing the diesel-powered vehicles that had been used on set for 20 years.
“We’re hoping we’re going to start a trend, at least for other TV shows,” showrunner Meg Marinis told the The Hollywood Reporter.
“All ambulances do is idle. They idle in parking lots, at convenience stores, they idle outside restaurants. The people inside of them are obviously doing life-saving work, but there’s a cost,” Marinis added.
The electric ambulance first appeared in the November 13, 2025, episode and were featured again in Thursday’s episode, in which characters lead an instructional ride-along with first responders.
Seven Months to Build
The project began in 2024 after parent company Walt Disney Co. approached the production team with funds from its Climate Sustainability Department.
“They said, ‘Do you want to turn your base camp solar?'” Marinis recalled. “We said yes, but that we were also interested in an electric ambulance.”
The custom build took approximately seven months and included modifications such as removable side and roof panels for shooting, custom-fit lighting and interior finishes, and custom fittings on the van frame to accommodate exterior camera, grip, and lighting equipment.
Rivian vehicles are equipped with a humming sound for pedestrian safety, which the production team disconnected for filming.
While the show’s silent ambulance is not street legal, producers said the model serves as a guide for what real-world ambulances could become.
Eliminating Diesel Fumes
Marinis said the switch came after years of concerns about exposing cast and crew to diesel fumes from idling ambulances on set.
“We were exposing the cast and crew to these diesel fumes, so we tried to creatively work around it. We would have our doctors coming down a hallway, and then we’d just open the doors. But we lost that awesome feeling of ambulances driving up,” Marinis stated.
The EV maker’s chief communications officer Marina Hoffmann wrote on LinkedIn that “the Shondaland series partnered with Rivian to custom build a new, environmentally friendly ride for season 22 — one that will no longer emit diesel fumes on the ABC set.”
Rivian Commercial Vans
The collaboration represents a new use case for Rivian‘s commercial platform in the emergency services sector, where electrification has lagged behind other vehicle categories.
Rivian has been expanding its commercial van business beyond its consumer electric trucks and SUVs.
Amazon is the EV maker’s largest shareholder and co-developed a delivery-focused van been the largest customer for the company’s electric delivery vans as part of a partnership announced in 2019.
The retail giant ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans scheduled for delivery by 2030.
As of last October, Amazon had deployed more than 35,000 Rivian EDVs in its fleet across the US, North America, and Europe.
When asked late last year if the 100,000 Amazon units were still on track, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe reaffirmed the target and said Rivian is already “thinking about what comes beyond that initial 100,000 unit contract.”
Commercial Fleet Expansion
In February 2025, after exclusively producing vans for Amazon, Rivian began taking orders for its electric delivery van from external clients.
Since then, the company has publicly announced a deal with HelloFresh SE and with the pizza delivery firm Slice.
In mid-October, a Rivian electric delivery van bearing a Cintas Corp. logo was spotted, suggesting the US uniform and safety supplier may be testing the vehicle or has become a commercial fleet customer.
However, no deal has been publicly announced.
Recent Recall
In early December, Rivian issued an over-the-air update to address a seat belt issue in 34,824 of its electric delivery vans, according to the recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The defect affects all the vans produced between December 10, 2021, and November 8, 2025.
The damage may lead to inadequate restraint of the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
