Mercedes-Benz and Rivian have signed on the dotted line to produce electric vans
Rumour has it that the planned joint venture will produce bespoke large electric vans as they plan on catering to the increasing demand for cleaner and sustainable commercial vehicles.
With plans to start in a few years, their aim is to build an all-new electric-only production facility leveraging an existing Mercedes Benz site in Central/Eastern Europe.
Mercedes and Rivian plan to launch two electric vans, one based on Mercedes’ new electric van architecture and the other will be Rivian’s second-gen light van platform.
At the moment, Mercedes-Benz offers the eVito, eSprinter and EQV electric vans, while Rivian has its delivery van developed in cooperation with Amazon, but this partnership with Mercedes-Benz will utilize a new EV platform.
This joint venture is said to mirror the common objectives of Mercedes and Rivian, who both plan on rapidly scaling the production of electric vans to help the world transition to cleaner transportation, according to Rivian.
“We are sharing investments and technology because we also share the same strategic ambition: accelerating the electrification of the van market with sustainable and superior products for our customers,” Mercedes-Benz Vans Chief Mathias Geisen said in a statement.
It’s reported that by working together, they will be able to increase cost efficiency to help make the vans more affordable for commercial customers driven by the total cost of ownership, according to Mercedes.
RJ Scaringe, Chief Executive Officer of Rivian has said, “Rivian was created to encourage the world to transition away from fossil fuel consumption by creating compelling products and services. We’re delighted to be partnering with Mercedes-Benz on this project”.
He continued, “Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s best known and respected automotive companies, and we believe that together we will produce truly remarkable electric vans which will not only benefit our customers but the planet.”
So far the agreement that the two parties have signed is a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership. This means that provided they enter into final binding agreements, and obtain the relevant regulatory clearances, we should expect to see the production of their large electric vans in the near future.
