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Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said Amazon has increased demand for the company’s electric delivery vans, citing lower operating costs. Rivian recorded $1.6 billion in revenue from Amazon so far this year, nearly three times the year-earlier amount, though it does not report van delivery volumes separately. The company has begun delivering two new EDV variants to Amazon and says it is in discussions with other potential fleet customers.
Rivian’s revenue from Amazon has nearly tripled year over year, as the retailer buys more of the automaker’s electric delivery vans, CEO RJ Scaringe said on the company’s latest earnings call. The growth makes the commercial EDV an increasingly significant source of business for Rivian, alongside the newer R2 crossover, but the company has not disclosed how many vans it delivered.
Amazon paid Rivian $596 million in the third quarter, according to figures cited in the report—more than it paid Rivian during the first three quarters of the previous year combined. Rivian booked $1.6 billion in Amazon revenue so far this year, nearly three times the year-earlier figure. The revenue is primarily related to EDV sales, although Rivian does not provide a model-by-model breakdown of deliveries or revenue.
Scaringe attributed Amazon’s increased purchases to the van’s operating economics. He said the vehicles’ lower running costs create “true and very real structural cost advantages” for the logistics company. That is Rivian’s explanation for the added demand; the company did not provide a detailed cost comparison or quantify the savings in the earnings-call remarks described in the source.
Rivian also said it has started delivering two new EDV variants to Amazon. One has all-wheel drive, while the other has a larger battery and a claimed 30% increase in range. The versions are intended for rural delivery routes. Rivian opened fleet orders to customers beyond Amazon last year, with the smaller model listed at a starting price of $79,900.
Amazon Makes the Van a Revenue Driver
The figures show that Rivian’s business with Amazon is growing even as attention centers on the R2, the company’s lower-priced crossover. The EDV offers Rivian a different route to revenue: sales to a large commercial operator that can deploy vehicles across delivery operations, rather than relying only on consumer demand for passenger EVs.
The commercial opportunity also comes as some competing electric-van programs have struggled. The source reports that Ford sold fewer than 700 E-Transit vans during the cited period and canceled a next-generation model, while General Motors ended its BrightDrop electric delivery-van program late last year. Those changes could leave fewer established alternatives in parts of the market, but they do not by themselves establish how much business Rivian will win.
For Amazon, any savings depend on costs across the vehicles’ service life, including charging, maintenance and route needs. Rivian has described lower operating costs as a reason for the purchases; the available information does not detail Amazon’s total savings or the profitability Rivian earns on each van.
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From Amazon Fleet to Wider Orders
Amazon was an early investor in Rivian and has been the most prominent customer for the company’s EDV, a purpose-built electric delivery van used for Amazon package routes. The relationship gives Rivian a major commercial customer, while also concentrating a substantial share of the van business in one buyer. The revenue figures in the report are company-level payments from Amazon, not a count of vans sold.
Rivian’s passenger-vehicle plans have drawn more attention, particularly the R2, which the company positioned below its R1 models in price. The source says the R2 became Rivian’s best-selling vehicle in the third quarter after reaching the market in June. The EDV’s growth is a separate development: it points to demand in commercial fleets while Rivian continues to build its consumer lineup.
Rivian has said it is speaking with other potential EDV customers. An image of a van wearing Walmart livery circulated online, prompting questions about a possible arrangement. Rivian did not confirm a Walmart deal when asked on the earnings call. Scaringe said the company was talking with other operators, without naming them or announcing an order.
“This year we have seen a significant step up in the level of demand from Amazon.”
— RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO
Delivery Counts and New Buyers Remain Unknown
Rivian has not published EDV delivery volumes or a separate breakdown of Amazon revenue by vehicle, so the reported payments do not show precisely how many vans were purchased or when they were delivered. The source also does not specify the exact year-over-year comparison period behind the nearly threefold revenue figure beyond describing it as a comparison with the prior year.
No Walmart order or partnership has been confirmed. Rivian declined to comment directly on the widely shared image of an EDV in Walmart livery, and its statement that it is speaking with other commercial operators does not establish that any additional customer has placed an order. The van’s per-unit margins, Amazon’s actual operating savings and the scale of future demand also remain undisclosed.
Watch for Fleet Orders and Deliveries
The next signals will be whether Rivian announces additional commercial customers, reports orders beyond Amazon, or provides more detail on EDV deliveries and revenue in a later financial update. Deliveries of the all-wheel-drive and longer-range variants may also show how the van fits Amazon routes with different operating needs.
For now, Rivian has confirmed increased Amazon demand, higher reported revenue from the retailer and the start of deliveries for two new EDV versions. A Walmart agreement and the size or profitability of any broader fleet business remain unconfirmed.
Key Questions
What is Rivian’s EDV?
The EDV is Rivian’s electric commercial delivery van, used by Amazon for package deliveries. Rivian has also opened orders to other fleet customers.
How much revenue did Rivian report from Amazon?
Rivian booked $1.6 billion in Amazon revenue so far this year, primarily related to EDV sales, according to the source. Amazon paid Rivian $596 million in the third quarter. Rivian does not report van sales separately.
Has Walmart ordered Rivian vans?
No Walmart deal has been confirmed in the cited report. An image of an EDV wearing Walmart livery circulated online, but Rivian did not confirm an agreement and said only that it was in discussions with potential commercial customers.
What are the new EDV versions?
Rivian says it has started delivering two variants to Amazon: one with all-wheel drive and one with a larger battery and a claimed 30% more range, aimed at rural routes.
Source: insideevs.com
