Mercedes-Benz Vans and electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership and joint production of electric vans.
The companies intend to establish a new joint venture manufacturing company with the purpose of investing in and operating a factory in Europe to produce large electric vans for both Mercedes-Benz and Rivian. According to Mercedes-Benz, the partnership will enter production in a few years. The target is to build an all-new electric-only production facility leveraging an existing Mercedes-Benz site in Central/Eastern Europe.
They will produce a pair of large vans, one based on Mercedes’ VAN.EA Vab Electric Architecture and the other are based on the second generation electric van, Rivian Light Van (RLV) platform. Further options for increased synergies from the joint venture will also be explored.
Mercedes-Benz and Rivian plan to rapidly scale the production of electric vans to help the world transition to cleaner transportation. By working together, they will be able to leverage operations synergies and substantially increase cost efficiency. This helps make the vans more affordable for commercial customers, driven by the total cost of ownership.
Mercedes-Benz Vans has gained broad experience in producing and launching eVans since 2010. On the other hand, Rivian, a relative newcomer in this space, is building a brand and product portfolio with the objective of maximizing impact in the shift to carbon-neutral transportation. The startup has a contract to supply Amazon with 100,000 last-mile electric delivery vans.
“Rivian was created to encourage the world to transition away from fossil fuel consumption by creating compelling products and services,” said RJ Scaringe, Chief Executive Officer of Rivian. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Mercedes‑Benz on this project. 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 benefit not only our customers but the planet.”
