I am an Amazon DA based in NYC, and we have gotten hold of these beauties recently and have been driving them around for the past 4-5 months. It is quite literally revolutionary and honestly the design focused around the driver is so much more efficient compared to the gas cargo vans. It feels like a spaceship tbh. Only complaint is the sound system. It is not good. Rivian if you watch this video and read the comments please update that somehow. Would really appreciate it!
If you want professional courier services, use one and pay for it. Amazon delivery drivers, or any usual delivery company is minimum or close to minimum wage work. Dont expect a high standard for a service which you either get for free or for a fee of a couple of dollars.
@onehandwashestheother- well I *wish* my local amazon drivers played music, they are *so* quiet that sometimes they deliver and despite me being at home ,would only know when a notification comes, can be bit of an issue here in UK when it rains. lol
THIS is a use case where EV makes a TON of sense...driving around town, low speeds, lots of stop and go, charging and overall battery maintenance can be tightly controlled, etc? PERFECT use case for EV.
"Wow, I could live in that" was my first thought, it would be a perfect base to build an rv! Although, they would have to extend it's range - as it is, it would take a month or so to drive from NY to LA 🐢, but you would get to really see the country and meet people!
This was the exact thought in my head too... I wish solid state batteries would take over. 350+ miles per charge would be perfect !!.. 160 just wouldn't cut it...
I worked for the USPS when Amazon just started doing their own deliveries in my area. It's amazing to see how far they've come from being gig workers in unmarked cars to driving these vans that probably outmatch anything any delivery company has in terms of driver comfort. I was 26 years old driving an LLV with no heat, no AC that broke down monthly and was older than I was. This would have been an absolute dream.
@@richards1191I work at a car dealership that sells an okay amount of evs so that means we have to have a charger on site and multiple people that work here have bought an ev and charge for free at work when they show up it’s a pretty solid move
It's a full circle moment for me, from watching MKBHD videos for tech reviews to becoming an automotive engineer only for him to launch a new auto channel and review the van I helped build at Rivian.
You don’t often see any kind of products that are so massively designed for one purpose or customer. But when you see it and everything makes sense it’s just beautiful.
as a courier for over 20 years, this design looks amazing, the step van style is great, and this thing takes that flawless design and just makes it so much better. slick!
(4:20) The passenger side sliding door is where the sidewalks/houses/apartments would be, and the driver side door would be the side facing the street/road. This sliding door makes it easier to drivers to get in and out to make deliveries. #correction
Not to mention that the sliding door doesn't obstruct the sidewalk if left open and you don't have to be concerned about smacking a person/mailbox/tree with it when opening.
Yea he thought it was like a USPS truck when its not. This Riven chose to use a traditional driving position in favor of the driver doing a little more work getting out of the van, which makes sense because amazon doesn’t deliver letters to mailboxes, and most of their drivers will be less experienced workers making the learning curve of driving on the otherside of the road unnecessary.
@@WARnTEA I wouldn't really say it's more work even. It's a stride or two further getting in, and getting out you need to go into the back anyways, so all it means is less things in your way.
Yeah I spent a minute looking at the logos to see if it was mirrored and then sanity checking if I know what side of the vehicle I sit on XD Like uhh I don't think that side faces the street...
Honestly this is a brilliant bussiness move from Rivian - proof of concept/fix all the issues with Amazon, then roll them out worldwide to postal services. Most 1st world Gov. departments are looking to reduce CO2 emissions and hit green targets - switching the gov. owned postal service to electric vehicles would move towards that target massively.
Agreed. I actually recall reading a few years ago that during Bush 2's second term, the US Postal Service wanted to start replacing vehicles with fleets of electric (or maybe hybrid) vehicles and it got shut down. I believe that was one of the big reasons the USPS began to fail to the point it has. They were disallowed from making that decision, which would've saved tax payers and then they subsequently had their budget lowered...relative to inflation.
In Australia our drivers use mini electric buggies for their local delivery route. We use ICE/hybrid vans for larger packages and international deliveries though.
If Rivian made vehicle just like this for people that are in construction it would be widely appreciated because of its convenience and complexity in access compared to the older models and I could see a lot of construction workers buying a van like this.
The Rivian techs that work on these EDV's have their own work van which is the 500, like this one (shorter wheel base) equipped with everything they need in the back and a Rivian branding wrap, they look pretty slick!
I just saw a Ford E-Transit charging near my house yesterday. They don't sell that in the US? Ninja edit: apparently they do, though range isn't that great.
@@spoenk7448I drive an E-transit in portland as a plumber. It’s great for our market where we roll around the city + suburban job sites. It’s great and burns about .5kw/mile. Range fully charged is 120ish
This van has so much potential for multiple industries that will need to transition to electric. Tradesman, construction, and most exciting of all-- RV. Vanlife would be sick in this Rivian Van.
I love your videos! Small correction at 4:20 you have it backwards. The sliding door (passenger side) would be to the side walk and the regular door (drivers side) would be into oncoming traffic assuming a 2 way street.
Probably so you can drive with the side door open for more efficient delivery. Just sling the package like a newspaper kid - no need to slow down! Smart
This is so much more exciting than a normal electric car review 😃 I feel like the first time where I was shown a tractor and how to drive it as a kid ☺️
If you could double the battery at a minimum, maybe. Treating it like any other EV where you don't get below about 10% battery (which would only be maybe 15mi of range), charging up to say 90%, gives you only a usable range of 120miles. That assuming the estimate is SUPER real world. They say 150 mi range, but that is also assuming most driving is stop/go in city, not at highway speeds. That thing full of van-life outfitting (aka heavy stuff), doing 75mph? I wouldn't be surprised it it was 90mi usable range. Doable? Sure, but not very good for "getting away from it all". Also you'd burn electrons keeping the AC on and running appliances. So you'd have to either park at an RV site or make sure you park it at night with a fairly high state of charge.
I was thinking the same thing. I’d buy one when they’re at the end of their use. They would probably just swap the battery pack and put it back on the road though.
@@lucamatteobarbieri2493 In a very optimal setup, on a perfect day, maybe. Many years ago they talked about solar panels on a Tesla Model 3 and the math came out to something like 1.5 miles per day gain by solar. Granted the M3 has a much smaller roof, but the Rivian EDV is also much more inefficient. The biggest problem with solar panels on the roof is that you'd need to put them on in a way to not alter the aero. Poorly installed solar panels on the roof could easily cause a more than 10 mile hit on the range. Also lets be honest, even it was something amazing like 20 mi increase per day (12 hour day), that doesn't really alter how you drive. With a 100mile range, at freeway speeds, you'd be adding something like 1 mile of extra range between each charge stop.
@@SierraGolfNiner yeah. I agree. I wrote my original comment before they announced the miles per charge. Still an awesome platform but would need additional battery. I wish Tesla would do a van.
I talked to a driver when they delivered something to me in one of these, and he loved it! Then he did a 3-point turn in the middle of the block, not using a driveway, and drove off. Thanks for doing this, I was really interesting in seeing the inside.
I drove for Amazon for 8 months, but I moved on just before the Rivian vans were introduced. This is the cleanest van I’ve seen. I never thought I would see MKBHD with a vest on. 4:37 I would usually have 148 stops which means I would be in and out of the van at least 148 times. It’s really cool they upgraded the delivery experience. Perfect upgrades.
I think this is my favorite video you’ve done. I liked how methodical and complete the walkthrough was and I loved seeing inside that insane warehouse/garage. Also cool to hear the sound environments change so drastically as you moved in and out of the different parts of the van. Amazing.
They really did a killer job designing this vehicle for the industry. Simple utility. The electric pass through and cargo doors are awesome. Also, the sides of the vehicle are Curbside (passenger) and Streetside (driver).
Are you an Amazon driver? The electric pass through door comes off it’s track not infrequently. I understand, they want it to open and close so cargo is secure while driver is away, but for many many rural and suburban routes this is unnecessary. They could have made it non automatic and reduced how often the door has to open from 1,000 times a week to maybe less than a hundred. Significantly reduce wear and repair. One other critique is how low the van sits for rural routes. It’s great for city/suburb, but at my station the bottoms of the many of these vans are hanging off or have been cut away - No doubt this is driver error, but again they could’ve saved a ton in maintenance by considering this. Overall a great van though.
We had an Uber like app here in Mexico called Beat, that for a while offered to take a ride in a Tesla, then that should have gotten a bit too expensive and started using chinese electric cars of a brand called JAC... and then, the company went bankrupt. But I can definitely see Rivian powered buses chugging along Mexico City, I'd love to see it
I work as an Amazon driver and get to drive these things nearly every day. You said they’re not luxury driving, but compared to the ICE vans? These are peak luxury 😂 I love driving these things
Rivian is destined for greatness. I think they could even choose to enter the Semi market with the credibility a design like this gives them. They would automatically win on cabin ergonomics from day one.
Rivian has been killing it lately! I can't wait to see all that they do! I would LOVE to see a similar van by Rivian for camping. That would be amazing!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you really focused on how this works for the drivers/workers and not just on the "ooo pretty features" kinda stuff.
To the people commenting about the potential as an RV… a relative converted a USPS truck into a camper van and it’s literally my dream vehicle. Electric would just make it icing on the cake doing what she did to one of these.
I subbed to this channel the day Marques announced it and I'm so glad I did. Every one of these videos has been fascinating, and I love that they're shot on phone hardware, showing just how far we've come in tech and how little it actually takes to produce a channel of this quality. Top notch stuff.
The fact that an iPhone is at this point capable of shooting video like that is really impressing. Just as impressing as this awesome review from Marques.
RVs are supposed to go for long distances, road trips... with the weight of RV equipment, plus the weight of the battery... I don't think it would be wise to build an EV-RV in the current state of battery efficiency.
@@wittywolk You have to keep in mind that as large as these vans are, they only carry a 135kWh battery because they’re precisely designed for the daily delivery cycle. We’re starting to get electric pickup trucks that carry 200kWh battery packs, at around half the footprint as this van. Needless to say, if they want to release a RV version for long range use, there’s more than enough space to at least double the capacity as those pickup trucks and bring the range to 500+ miles.
@@wittywolk Maybe that's true for the US, but I can see these work in Europe for some people (retirees with time and money). Things are generally closer together/more densely populated and the charging infrastructure is getting to be fairly good in certain parts of Europe. It's only going to be better in the coming years. I'd much rather have this as an RV rather than towing a trailer with a regular EV because charging infrastructure is not set up for towing vehicles. If the range is going to be unimpressive you're going to want to be able to just drive up and plug in.
Particularly for me in the UK. If you’re RV’ing you want to take in the countryside en-route, otherwise take a car and rent a cottage at your destination
Good to see effort and care put into something that will make someone's job not only easier, but more enjoyable. Koodoos for not cutting corners when you easily could.
I imagine it will be a long time (if ever) before these show up on the used market or for consumer purchase, but that would make a *sick* van life build... If Rivian sold a stripped down version, that would be awesome! Add the ability to take power in from a PV system, you don't have to mess with a separate battery system since the vehicle is a battery, the height is great.
In 5-10 years time that will be the secondhand van that gets retrofit for van life. With all that room back there it will be amazing to see what people squeeze into it. Surfing or camping life of the future - wow.
totally agree except that the range is awful so it would have to get bigger batteries put in... no way anyone seeking that lifestyle wants to be limited by the very short range - not to forget how charging areas are already few but especially near beaches and campsites.
When I did delivery work, I drove a van from each of the big three. A Chevy express which was just the worst with frequent breakdowns, and very uncomfortable to drive. A RAM 1500 can which drove well (and had an insanely good turning radius), but had terrible ergonomics and electronics. Radio constantly broke. The cable for the sliding door was broken. And there were no handles or steps to assist with getting in and out, so you had to sorta jump out which takes a toll. Then a Ford Transit 250. This solved a lot of the ergonomics issues I had with the other vans, but did introduce one big problem. The pedals were too high off the ground and not adjustable. So my ankle would hurt by days end. However, it had AWD which was welcome in the Northeast. Radio sounded great. Lane keep assist. Driver alertness monitoring, which helped for some of the harder mornings. This Rivian van is something special because I can tell it’s something they designed with a lot of input from drivers. I don’t do delivery work anymore, but if I did, this would be the van I’d want.
The interior size would likely also be awesome for craftsmen. Lots of room for tools and parts, it's locked away in the back, and if needs be you can work in the back in the dry. Maybe Rivian even offers an outlet option on their vans so you don't need to lug around generators for the jobsites.
Given that it’s electric, I fully expect these things to be compact in size, but with an incredibly spacious interior. Finally the emergency kit can go into the frunk, and the battery weight forces a low center of gravity, thus making these things incredibly stable. For context, I raced on a track with a retired Fedex box truck and a UPS truck. Its very easy to get them on two wheels like the UAE drivers out in the dunes.
@asimo3089 the shape does matter. A low and rounded shape means that if they hit pedestrians or cyclists they won't be dragged under the front bumper and aggravate the impact injuries to near fatal or fatal.
looking forward for these things to become more common! Hopefully theyll flood the used market in a few years so people can make them into campers. I like that they included fast charging even though its unlikely to be used by amazon drivers :)
As an amazon delivery driver that’s driven these many times. The pros for this is the heated and ventilated seat, leather seat, tall space, touch screen, instant torque, 360 camera, driving with only one pedal, cruise control and high seat. The cons for me would be, not enough cup holders, weak AC vent (some don’t have adjustable vents), seat belt issue, no handle on driver side, and you’re trapped in the cabin if the key dies.
Seen those driving around us (NJ) for months, they look soo much better than those old vans and EV's make so much sense. UPS and Fedex should do something like that too. I think they look pretty cool and way more amazoney. Thanks for showing us the car and some specs, I was actually interested in those things.
I live in Seattle. And I love seeing so many Rivians on the road, including the delivery vehicle. Washington seems to be about 5:5 Tesla vs Rivian. Whereas my impression while living in Los Angeles it was 9:1 Tesla vs Rivian
Being an Amazon DSP driver. These suck 75% of the time. If the key fob dies (which it does all the time) you literally CANNOT do anything with the van. If the key fob is dead you're stuck unless you call rivian and wait on hold to get a unique 6 digit code that gets regenerated every new route every day. We also have had half of our cans for due to battery issues and we have not even had them for a year yet. The tires also go flat faster than a normal gas van. Now onto what I like. You can hop in and just put it in drive and go. No need to start it and shift it into gear. The screens are amazing as it shows every stop we have on our route which is insanely helpful. When it works. For the first edition of the van it's okay. But would love to see a new model that fixes the issues that we experience. Lastly slight correction to the video. The driver side door is towards the street and the slide door is the sidewalk.
I love driving this van. Its fun. Easy to get in and out of. Lots of space. Cooling for your hot bum. I especially like how it stops by itself thanks to regen braking. Makes deliveries so much easier. For any other amazon driver out there, pro tip: sort your tote until you find the package you need, not the entire thing. Makes sorting quicker.
Love this vehicle! Looking forward to seeing a campervan conversion someday soon. That cargo area looks very practical for this. I'd love one of these as an EV campervan with a bit more range and all-electric cooking, heating and cooling.
Very cool little van! I absolutely love the blue accents. I wish more companies would introduce something like this into their designs - a bright pop of colour in a few spots, to break up the typical greys and blacks of many cars. (I know some cars have "sports" packages that do this with stitching in the seats and such, and those are also nice looking, but most of the time they still feel very conservative.)
It is AMAZING!!!;) A local driver was kind enough to let me sit in one after I gave a few curious glances, it is SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND ERGONOMIC!!!;)
I know I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I am starting to look more forward to these videos than the main channel, there is something so authentic about them. I really love the main channel of course, but now when something from this channel pops up, I want to watch it right away.
I talked to the delivery driver that come to my neighborhood, and he absolutely loves it, he says it's quite, comfortable and easy to drive, he is thinking of getting a small ev for his personal use after driving this delivery van
I've seen some arrive via train in germany a week back. after the federal postal service decided to go fully electric half a year back, i am very happy to see all those vehicles
I had never imagined that, a delivery van would be high tech and so well designed. This vehicle has more facilities than a high end car in my country 😁
Not only do these trucks look gorgeous, but they are amazingly large and practical as well. They have thought of so many small things and made improvements that benefit the driver without having to put in any manual effort.
The USPS would do well to commission Rivian for these trucks as well. I could see a smaller version of this being the standard for mail delivery in the near future
This looks really great! I hope they do come to Germany as well. Also, I'd wish they'd not only be made for Amazon. These look really cool for normal people, too!
Germany has many great vans unlike the usa. There are also a bunch of electric options like e sprinter and more that dont exist on the us market. For non delivery uses many of those are actually better than the rivian. Also dhl has these small electric vans too.
@@aynamehd7455 that is very much true. Ford also released it's E-Transit as well. Sure, there are options but you generally don't see them adopted even by quite large companies. Many Amazon and DHL cars coming around here are still powered by gas even though their effective range might be well below 300km. Maybe even 200km. I might have to ask my local DHL person if they got a minute on how much they're driving/day.
being a former delivery driver, this van is awesome. The A/C in the back is an awesome idea, and should be a delivery truck standard in hot climates. Also that auto opening/closing bulk head door is freakin cool, along with the many other features. makes me wana go back to driving again.
Very nice presentation! In Bellevue/Kirkland WA we see a bunch of these and also the little six wheeled delivery gizmos too. I love the look and that they are electric!
wonderful van. I'm glad the drivers get air conditioning, I know it is a bone of contention with UPS and others. If you're hustling like you have to do as a delivery person you can overheat quickly. I hope Rivian makes enough money on these to develop camper and shuttle bus versions.
In Chicago we have seen this thing and it is big and quiet, so cool. imagine EV postal vans, UPS and FedEx trucks happening soon. Rivian EV RV van, oh yeah.
I actually saw these when driving late at night through Pennsylvania. I just noticed a giant red U shaped light bar and was like “what vehicle is that?!?” Drove past it, and the headlights were the dead giveaway. It definitely looks cool in person, and I low key want one as a utility van.
I had the same thought. With a chassis that big, there's probably room for a battery pack twice as big as it has now, and trim out the interior, could be a sweet way to tour national parks and such, with big windows and a panoramic sunroof.
im happy that the experience seems much better for drivers compared to traditional cargo vans with no or garbage ac. delivery drivers deliver a lot of things that are necessary or make life better for a lot of people and they deserve comfort just like everyone else
Great video as always Marques, and one of my favorite cars on the road! The clean lines, the blue accents, the quiet truck (which is super weird cause normally trucks are very loud). When you rang the horn at 8:23, i felt that to my core 😂
Fun fact: Amazon ended up paying only around 15K USD for each van (this does not include the shares in rivian automotive they also acquired from the purchase, so in reality, they actually paid significantly less than 15k per van (depending on future value of rivian automotive stock)).
Do you guys think this will ever become commercially available as second-hand "over flow" product? You know how some companies have their stuff for sale if it's been a long time and they just have too much overflow surplus? Reason I ask is because this looks like such a perfect vehicle for those pursuing "van life". Also seems like a great apocalypse van build. #zom100.
I'm a UPS driver, and that is a thing of beauty. (It's way too small for our volume. Our smallest package cars are 800s, and the majority are 1000, and another large chunk being 1200.) But the comfy chairs, the AC in both cab and cargo area, the low step up, and the auto-opening bulkhead doors are wonderful and will make a huge difference in terms of RSIs and, you know, not dying of heat exhaustion. Our PCs look like they were designed as a medieval torture device by comparison. The only thing I don't like is the implication that drivers must use their own devices to scan that QR code and/or plug in. (Workers shouldn't have to subsidize billion-dollar corporations by bringing and using their own devices for work; but that's an Amazon thing, not a Rivian design thing.) Unfortunately, most Amazon delivery drivers work for subcontractors who won't be getting these. They will be great for those few in-house drivers who get them, but I fear they will work more as marketing and PR than things that will meaningfully impact the majority of its underpaid, subcontracted delivery workforce. (And unless Amazon workers unionize and force the company to bring those subcontracted workers back in-house, I don't see these tiny, undercapitalized subcontractors being able to afford these beauties.) But I'm happy to have these out there as models for what can and should be done for the workers who make our online shopping and WFH economy actually work.
Although this was shot on the Iphone 15 but it didn't felt like it, I mean the processing and video quality looks just like the 14s. How is it Marques? is the 15 really any good in terms of cameras?
I am an Amazon DA based in NYC, and we have gotten hold of these beauties recently and have been driving them around for the past 4-5 months. It is quite literally revolutionary and honestly the design focused around the driver is so much more efficient compared to the gas cargo vans. It feels like a spaceship tbh. Only complaint is the sound system. It is not good. Rivian if you watch this video and read the comments please update that somehow. Would really appreciate it!
@onehandwashestheotherThat's fine, it makes delivering packages to a$$$$$$ customers more enjoyable, gotta make Amazon work less miserable somehow.
@onehandwashestheother my dude, their job is hard enough as it is. Stop being a karen.
If you want professional courier services, use one and pay for it. Amazon delivery drivers, or any usual delivery company is minimum or close to minimum wage work. Dont expect a high standard for a service which you either get for free or for a fee of a couple of dollars.
@onehandwashestheother you are morally bankrupt and my only solace is that your life is definitely filled with unhappiness and stress.
@onehandwashestheother- well I *wish* my local amazon drivers played music, they are *so* quiet that sometimes they deliver and despite me being at home ,would only know when a notification comes, can be bit of an issue here in UK when it rains. lol
Man you know inflation is getting high when Marquess needs to pick up a side gig as an Amazon Driver 😆
How else do you think he gets all this tech to review?
@@bogdanivchenko3723good point
😂
@@bogdanivchenko3723He is the guy porch pirating me? 🤓
he'd be happy since its all still part of a tech and gadget
THIS is a use case where EV makes a TON of sense...driving around town, low speeds, lots of stop and go, charging and overall battery maintenance can be tightly controlled, etc? PERFECT use case for EV.
the only case.
150 miles is pretty sus
@@sa34w For in town deliveries its pretty perfect. You dont need a huge range going slow speeds on city streets.
@@Jellylazer Pretty much...lol
@@Jellylazer Lol?
Hey Rivian, you should start selling this as vans to retrofit for camper life, they look sick and the space is huge
"Wow, I could live in that" was my first thought, it would be a perfect base to build an rv!
Although, they would have to extend it's range - as it is, it would take a month or so to drive from NY to LA 🐢, but you would get to really see the country and meet people!
Just think… in 5-10 years thousands of these will hit the aftermarket 👀
Get a job, mate. No one who has something going for them in life will drive from NY to LA@@lapsedluddite3381
This was the exact thought in my head too... I wish solid state batteries would take over. 350+ miles per charge would be perfect !!.. 160 just wouldn't cut it...
I fully agree! I was thinking the exact same thing.
I worked for the USPS when Amazon just started doing their own deliveries in my area. It's amazing to see how far they've come from being gig workers in unmarked cars to driving these vans that probably outmatch anything any delivery company has in terms of driver comfort. I was 26 years old driving an LLV with no heat, no AC that broke down monthly and was older than I was. This would have been an absolute dream.
Crazy how FedEx and UPS _still_ have their drivers in vehicles with no AC.
Amazon flex drivers still do deliveries from their own cars.
Amazon delivery vans by me run on diesel. We have no chargers in 100 miles of my area
@@richards1191I work at a car dealership that sells an okay amount of evs so that means we have to have a charger on site and multiple people that work here have bought an ev and charge for free at work when they show up it’s a pretty solid move
Still pissing in plastic bottles though, despite this PR.
Just for anyone who also noticed. At 4:23 you got the sides reversed. the pocket door is sidewalk , the regular door is typically the street
MKBHD moving to the UK, confirmed.
I was about to say something 😂
Kept going back bc I thought I misheard.
Totally. Newbie mistake. Rube.
Dude, what side is the street are you driving on?? USA-Curb in right, Curb in right
It's a full circle moment for me, from watching MKBHD videos for tech reviews to becoming an automotive engineer only for him to launch a new auto channel and review the van I helped build at Rivian.
Oh sweet! Looks like you guys did a fantastic job! Congrats!
Solid!!
Stellar work
You guys need to sell these to the general public, seriously. cool van and good job btw!!
new sound system please for the love of god
the music system in the rivian trucks is fucking stupid
You don’t often see any kind of products that are so massively designed for one purpose or customer. But when you see it and everything makes sense it’s just beautiful.
UPS trucks have been for their own use for years. They even destroy them when they are done
fr
@@kb9liq But they had to threaten a strike to actually get air conditioning.
It made commercial sense for Rivian to do it completely custom because Amazon agreed in advance to purchase 100,000 of them!
Agree. I definitely smile when I see these. And I frown when I see UPS and FedEx.
As Amazon delivery driver and driving EDV for around a year I truly love it. Just wish Amazon didn’t pressure us so much 😞
Thank you for your work!
More space compared to cargo vans means more stops to add on. yay....
Yes, too bad Amazon is run by greedy sociopaths
As an Amazon driver, agree. I drive a regular Stepvan. The job itself is getting harder and harder. Amazon has to do something about it.
Stop crying
as a courier for over 20 years, this design looks amazing, the step van style is great, and this thing takes that flawless design and just makes it so much better. slick!
(4:20) The passenger side sliding door is where the sidewalks/houses/apartments would be, and the driver side door would be the side facing the street/road. This sliding door makes it easier to drivers to get in and out to make deliveries. #correction
Not to mention that the sliding door doesn't obstruct the sidewalk if left open and you don't have to be concerned about smacking a person/mailbox/tree with it when opening.
#neverdrivenbefore
Yea he thought it was like a USPS truck when its not. This Riven chose to use a traditional driving position in favor of the driver doing a little more work getting out of the van, which makes sense because amazon doesn’t deliver letters to mailboxes, and most of their drivers will be less experienced workers making the learning curve of driving on the otherside of the road unnecessary.
@@WARnTEA I wouldn't really say it's more work even. It's a stride or two further getting in, and getting out you need to go into the back anyways, so all it means is less things in your way.
Yeah I spent a minute looking at the logos to see if it was mirrored and then sanity checking if I know what side of the vehicle I sit on XD
Like uhh I don't think that side faces the street...
Honestly this is a brilliant bussiness move from Rivian - proof of concept/fix all the issues with Amazon, then roll them out worldwide to postal services. Most 1st world Gov. departments are looking to reduce CO2 emissions and hit green targets - switching the gov. owned postal service to electric vehicles would move towards that target massively.
1000% us in Canada are trying to go full electric before 2040. This could make it 10 years faster.
The majority of Western Europe Postal services have 70%+ EV vans.
Agreed. I actually recall reading a few years ago that during Bush 2's second term, the US Postal Service wanted to start replacing vehicles with fleets of electric (or maybe hybrid) vehicles and it got shut down. I believe that was one of the big reasons the USPS began to fail to the point it has. They were disallowed from making that decision, which would've saved tax payers and then they subsequently had their budget lowered...relative to inflation.
I bet after a while of paying $100,000+ more for these POS, they will want their gas counterpart back!!! A-holes!!!
In Australia our drivers use mini electric buggies for their local delivery route. We use ICE/hybrid vans for larger packages and international deliveries though.
If Rivian made vehicle just like this for people that are in construction it would be widely appreciated because of its convenience and complexity in access compared to the older models and I could see a lot of construction workers buying a van like this.
so much more useful than a pickip truck
@@jaws5671Pick up trucks are for rich boys. Real work is done by vans and box trucks.
The Rivian techs that work on these EDV's have their own work van which is the 500, like this one (shorter wheel base) equipped with everything they need in the back and a Rivian branding wrap, they look pretty slick!
I just saw a Ford E-Transit charging near my house yesterday. They don't sell that in the US? Ninja edit: apparently they do, though range isn't that great.
@@spoenk7448I drive an E-transit in portland as a plumber. It’s great for our market where we roll around the city + suburban job sites. It’s great and burns about .5kw/mile. Range fully charged is 120ish
This van has so much potential for multiple industries that will need to transition to electric. Tradesman, construction, and most exciting of all-- RV. Vanlife would be sick in this Rivian Van.
I love your videos! Small correction at 4:20 you have it backwards. The sliding door (passenger side) would be to the side walk and the regular door (drivers side) would be into oncoming traffic assuming a 2 way street.
Noticed that too
Yeah I was like “waaaaait a minute…” 😅
Probably so you can drive with the side door open for more efficient delivery. Just sling the package like a newspaper kid - no need to slow down! Smart
This is so much more exciting than a normal electric car review 😃
I feel like the first time where I was shown a tractor and how to drive it as a kid ☺️
indeed
8:24 That horn reverberating in the facility was delicious.
Van life people would kill for this! AC all the time with giant built in batteries.
If you could double the battery at a minimum, maybe. Treating it like any other EV where you don't get below about 10% battery (which would only be maybe 15mi of range), charging up to say 90%, gives you only a usable range of 120miles. That assuming the estimate is SUPER real world. They say 150 mi range, but that is also assuming most driving is stop/go in city, not at highway speeds. That thing full of van-life outfitting (aka heavy stuff), doing 75mph? I wouldn't be surprised it it was 90mi usable range. Doable? Sure, but not very good for "getting away from it all". Also you'd burn electrons keeping the AC on and running appliances. So you'd have to either park at an RV site or make sure you park it at night with a fairly high state of charge.
if you cover the top in high efficiency solar panels you might get tens of extra miles per day
I was thinking the same thing. I’d buy one when they’re at the end of their use. They would probably just swap the battery pack and put it back on the road though.
@@lucamatteobarbieri2493 In a very optimal setup, on a perfect day, maybe. Many years ago they talked about solar panels on a Tesla Model 3 and the math came out to something like 1.5 miles per day gain by solar. Granted the M3 has a much smaller roof, but the Rivian EDV is also much more inefficient. The biggest problem with solar panels on the roof is that you'd need to put them on in a way to not alter the aero. Poorly installed solar panels on the roof could easily cause a more than 10 mile hit on the range.
Also lets be honest, even it was something amazing like 20 mi increase per day (12 hour day), that doesn't really alter how you drive. With a 100mile range, at freeway speeds, you'd be adding something like 1 mile of extra range between each charge stop.
@@SierraGolfNiner yeah. I agree. I wrote my original comment before they announced the miles per charge. Still an awesome platform but would need additional battery. I wish Tesla would do a van.
I talked to a driver when they delivered something to me in one of these, and he loved it! Then he did a 3-point turn in the middle of the block, not using a driveway, and drove off. Thanks for doing this, I was really interesting in seeing the inside.
I drove for Amazon for 8 months, but I moved on just before the Rivian vans were introduced. This is the cleanest van I’ve seen.
I never thought I would see MKBHD with a vest on.
4:37 I would usually have 148 stops which means I would be in and out of the van at least 148 times.
It’s really cool they upgraded the delivery experience. Perfect upgrades.
I know that Rivian has been petitioning Amazon to allow them to sell these to other customers -- they would make awesome shells for Van Lifers.
I think this is my favorite video you’ve done. I liked how methodical and complete the walkthrough was and I loved seeing inside that insane warehouse/garage. Also cool to hear the sound environments change so drastically as you moved in and out of the different parts of the van. Amazing.
they really missed a chance to call it the rivivan
Deliverivivan
Derivivan
Delivian
👍
Deli Rivian
With a good battery, this would make a fantastic base for a campervan build. Brilliant vehicle.
They really did a killer job designing this vehicle for the industry. Simple utility. The electric pass through and cargo doors are awesome. Also, the sides of the vehicle are Curbside (passenger) and Streetside (driver).
Are you an Amazon driver? The electric pass through door comes off it’s track not infrequently. I understand, they want it to open and close so cargo is secure while driver is away, but for many many rural and suburban routes this is unnecessary. They could have made it non automatic and reduced how often the door has to open from 1,000 times a week to maybe less than a hundred. Significantly reduce wear and repair. One other critique is how low the van sits for rural routes. It’s great for city/suburb, but at my station the bottoms of the many of these vans are hanging off or have been cut away - No doubt this is driver error, but again they could’ve saved a ton in maintenance by considering this. Overall a great van though.
rivian should make mini bus public vehicles or car pools for uber just like this.....focused on factor rather than form
You mean function? I get what you meant though
We had an Uber like app here in Mexico called Beat, that for a while offered to take a ride in a Tesla, then that should have gotten a bit too expensive and started using chinese electric cars of a brand called JAC... and then, the company went bankrupt. But I can definitely see Rivian powered buses chugging along Mexico City, I'd love to see it
i think they wanted too but they have a contract with amazon, who have invested a lot in rivian
@@MrCharlieBros 😂
With cost of living so high, this would be a great replacement for a fixer-uper first time home owner.
I work as an Amazon driver and get to drive these things nearly every day. You said they’re not luxury driving, but compared to the ICE vans? These are peak luxury 😂
I love driving these things
They didn't last up here in the Minnesota cold lol.
Our facility getting rid of them and imo good riddance
Rivian is destined for greatness. I think they could even choose to enter the Semi market with the credibility a design like this gives them. They would automatically win on cabin ergonomics from day one.
Once they start profiting on vehicle sales maybe
@@xxstealerxxPretty sure it's the other way around
@@damyr55what do you mean? If they aren’t making a profit yet, how is it the other way around? What does it mean?
Rivian has been killing it lately! I can't wait to see all that they do! I would LOVE to see a similar van by Rivian for camping. That would be amazing!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you really focused on how this works for the drivers/workers and not just on the "ooo pretty features" kinda stuff.
Cool, I didn't think think that a delivery truck could be that interesting. Great job Rivian!
To the people commenting about the potential as an RV… a relative converted a USPS truck into a camper van and it’s literally my dream vehicle. Electric would just make it icing on the cake doing what she did to one of these.
I subbed to this channel the day Marques announced it and I'm so glad I did. Every one of these videos has been fascinating, and I love that they're shot on phone hardware, showing just how far we've come in tech and how little it actually takes to produce a channel of this quality. Top notch stuff.
I love great engineering. I really hope Rivian is one of the long term winners in the industry.
The fact that an iPhone is at this point capable of shooting video like that is really impressing. Just as impressing as this awesome review from Marques.
This honestly looks so well designed ! Well done Rivian
8:24 That horn honk will continue to echo throughout that warehouse for the rest of eternity.
They definitely should make these available for RVs.
RVs are supposed to go for long distances, road trips... with the weight of RV equipment, plus the weight of the battery... I don't think it would be wise to build an EV-RV in the current state of battery efficiency.
@@wittywolk You have to keep in mind that as large as these vans are, they only carry a 135kWh battery because they’re precisely designed for the daily delivery cycle. We’re starting to get electric pickup trucks that carry 200kWh battery packs, at around half the footprint as this van. Needless to say, if they want to release a RV version for long range use, there’s more than enough space to at least double the capacity as those pickup trucks and bring the range to 500+ miles.
I was thinking exactly the same
@@wittywolk Maybe that's true for the US, but I can see these work in Europe for some people (retirees with time and money). Things are generally closer together/more densely populated and the charging infrastructure is getting to be fairly good in certain parts of Europe. It's only going to be better in the coming years.
I'd much rather have this as an RV rather than towing a trailer with a regular EV because charging infrastructure is not set up for towing vehicles. If the range is going to be unimpressive you're going to want to be able to just drive up and plug in.
Particularly for me in the UK. If you’re RV’ing you want to take in the countryside en-route, otherwise take a car and rent a cottage at your destination
Good to see effort and care put into something that will make someone's job not only easier, but more enjoyable. Koodoos for not cutting corners when you easily could.
I always geek out when I see one of these out on the road. It’s awesome you got to cover this. Great vid as always!
I imagine it will be a long time (if ever) before these show up on the used market or for consumer purchase, but that would make a *sick* van life build... If Rivian sold a stripped down version, that would be awesome! Add the ability to take power in from a PV system, you don't have to mess with a separate battery system since the vehicle is a battery, the height is great.
In 5-10 years time that will be the secondhand van that gets retrofit for van life. With all that room back there it will be amazing to see what people squeeze into it. Surfing or camping life of the future - wow.
totally agree except that the range is awful so it would have to get bigger batteries put in... no way anyone seeking that lifestyle wants to be limited by the very short range - not to forget how charging areas are already few but especially near beaches and campsites.
When I did delivery work, I drove a van from each of the big three.
A Chevy express which was just the worst with frequent breakdowns, and very uncomfortable to drive.
A RAM 1500 can which drove well (and had an insanely good turning radius), but had terrible ergonomics and electronics. Radio constantly broke. The cable for the sliding door was broken. And there were no handles or steps to assist with getting in and out, so you had to sorta jump out which takes a toll.
Then a Ford Transit 250. This solved a lot of the ergonomics issues I had with the other vans, but did introduce one big problem. The pedals were too high off the ground and not adjustable. So my ankle would hurt by days end. However, it had AWD which was welcome in the Northeast. Radio sounded great. Lane keep assist. Driver alertness monitoring, which helped for some of the harder mornings.
This Rivian van is something special because I can tell it’s something they designed with a lot of input from drivers. I don’t do delivery work anymore, but if I did, this would be the van I’d want.
Shout out to Marques for his brilliant work. As a tech nerd I got so much love and respect for ya.
I think that's an amazingly well designed van. It would probably make an awesome basis for a campervan conversion.
The interior size would likely also be awesome for craftsmen. Lots of room for tools and parts, it's locked away in the back, and if needs be you can work in the back in the dry. Maybe Rivian even offers an outlet option on their vans so you don't need to lug around generators for the jobsites.
Given that it’s electric, I fully expect these things to be compact in size, but with an incredibly spacious interior.
Finally the emergency kit can go into the frunk, and the battery weight forces a low center of gravity, thus making these things incredibly stable.
For context, I raced on a track with a retired Fedex box truck and a UPS truck. Its very easy to get them on two wheels like the UAE drivers out in the dunes.
It would make a cool rv. Also the rounded shapes are pedestrian/cyclist friendly, as opposed to the dangerous lines of the cybertruck
If you're getting hit by a 5000 pound anything, it's going to hurt. The shape of the car does not matter.
@asimo3089 the shape does matter. A low and rounded shape means that if they hit pedestrians or cyclists they won't be dragged under the front bumper and aggravate the impact injuries to near fatal or fatal.
Just don’t get hit 🤡
as if every other vehicle with angular design is any different. New Accord, for example.
@@asimo3089 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭
looking forward for these things to become more common! Hopefully theyll flood the used market in a few years so people can make them into campers. I like that they included fast charging even though its unlikely to be used by amazon drivers :)
Can't wait to see a conversion of this revolutionary car in to vanlife car😊
I've heard that Amazon isn't allowing them to be sold on the private market but that may change
As an amazon delivery driver that’s driven these many times.
The pros for this is the heated and ventilated seat, leather seat, tall space, touch screen, instant torque, 360 camera, driving with only one pedal, cruise control and high seat.
The cons for me would be, not enough cup holders, weak AC vent (some don’t have adjustable vents), seat belt issue, no handle on driver side, and you’re trapped in the cabin if the key dies.
Seen those driving around us (NJ) for months, they look soo much better than those old vans and EV's make so much sense. UPS and Fedex should do something like that too. I think they look pretty cool and way more amazoney. Thanks for showing us the car and some specs, I was actually interested in those things.
I live in Seattle. And I love seeing so many Rivians on the road, including the delivery vehicle. Washington seems to be about 5:5 Tesla vs Rivian. Whereas my impression while living in Los Angeles it was 9:1 Tesla vs Rivian
Van life people are def drooling over this 😂
Being an Amazon DSP driver. These suck 75% of the time. If the key fob dies (which it does all the time) you literally CANNOT do anything with the van. If the key fob is dead you're stuck unless you call rivian and wait on hold to get a unique 6 digit code that gets regenerated every new route every day. We also have had half of our cans for due to battery issues and we have not even had them for a year yet. The tires also go flat faster than a normal gas van.
Now onto what I like. You can hop in and just put it in drive and go. No need to start it and shift it into gear. The screens are amazing as it shows every stop we have on our route which is insanely helpful. When it works.
For the first edition of the van it's okay. But would love to see a new model that fixes the issues that we experience. Lastly slight correction to the video. The driver side door is towards the street and the slide door is the sidewalk.
I love driving this van. Its fun. Easy to get in and out of. Lots of space. Cooling for your hot bum. I especially like how it stops by itself thanks to regen braking. Makes deliveries so much easier.
For any other amazon driver out there, pro tip: sort your tote until you find the package you need, not the entire thing. Makes sorting quicker.
Love this vehicle! Looking forward to seeing a campervan conversion someday soon. That cargo area looks very practical for this. I'd love one of these as an EV campervan with a bit more range and all-electric cooking, heating and cooling.
Very cool little van! I absolutely love the blue accents. I wish more companies would introduce something like this into their designs - a bright pop of colour in a few spots, to break up the typical greys and blacks of many cars. (I know some cars have "sports" packages that do this with stitching in the seats and such, and those are also nice looking, but most of the time they still feel very conservative.)
It is AMAZING!!!;) A local driver was kind enough to let me sit in one after I gave a few curious glances, it is SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND ERGONOMIC!!!;)
I’ve talked to 2 Amazon drivers and they both really liked it. This platform is really amazing. I would buy this
I know I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I am starting to look more forward to these videos than the main channel, there is something so authentic about them. I really love the main channel of course, but now when something from this channel pops up, I want to watch it right away.
I would love to see stuff like this for smaller businesses someday.
Smaller businesses couldn't afford that
@@Medabee8Eventually they'll be able to. The gas savings would help pay for a lot of it.
rivian... make this into an affordable class b rv and you will make billions
Bingo!
I talked to the delivery driver that come to my neighborhood, and he absolutely loves it, he says it's quite, comfortable and easy to drive, he is thinking of getting a small ev for his personal use after driving this delivery van
I've seen some arrive via train in germany a week back. after the federal postal service decided to go fully electric half a year back, i am very happy to see all those vehicles
I love how succinct and polished Marquis' videos are.
I had never imagined that, a delivery van would be high tech and so well designed. This vehicle has more facilities than a high end car in my country 😁
How is the sidewalk on the left side of the van?? You exit through the sliding door on the right side to the sidewalk.
well it is in england, which is the correct standard
Yeah, that's what I thought.
but then the driver's position would be on the right, making it still necessary to traverse the cockpit to the sidewalk. @@oliverxjsxhjxhs4487
@@oliverxjsxhjxhs4487I missed the part where he mentioned this. Makes sense now. Thanks!
@@oliverxjsxhjxhs4487 lol, no. He's on the East Coast of the US. If it was England then the steering wheel would be on the right aide.
Not only do these trucks look gorgeous, but they are amazingly large and practical as well. They have thought of so many small things and made improvements that benefit the driver without having to put in any manual effort.
yes, Tesla and Musk should just eat dirt
I've been seeing these driving around NYC, great to actually see what the inside looks like. Also, 15 pro shoots great video!
Excellent review! Nicely done format with no whack
The USPS would do well to commission Rivian for these trucks as well. I could see a smaller version of this being the standard for mail delivery in the near future
This looks really great!
I hope they do come to Germany as well. Also, I'd wish they'd not only be made for Amazon. These look really cool for normal people, too!
Yes, Germany will be the first European country to get the EDV. They will get the RPV 500 though which is the shorter version.
@@mitchkman if that's true, I'm going to be really excited and watch out for a possible "release" date and watch out for them!
Germany has many great vans unlike the usa. There are also a bunch of electric options like e sprinter and more that dont exist on the us market. For non delivery uses many of those are actually better than the rivian. Also dhl has these small electric vans too.
@@aynamehd7455 that is very much true. Ford also released it's E-Transit as well. Sure, there are options but you generally don't see them adopted even by quite large companies. Many Amazon and DHL cars coming around here are still powered by gas even though their effective range might be well below 300km. Maybe even 200km. I might have to ask my local DHL person if they got a minute on how much they're driving/day.
With a few modifications this would be an awesome camper van!
being a former delivery driver, this van is awesome. The A/C in the back is an awesome idea, and should be a delivery truck standard in hot climates. Also that auto opening/closing bulk head door is freakin cool, along with the many other features. makes me wana go back to driving again.
Very nice presentation! In Bellevue/Kirkland WA we see a bunch of these and also the little six wheeled delivery gizmos too. I love the look and that they are electric!
The video quality is amazing considering it was filmed on a phone. And the entire auto review is nice and informative as always.
wonderful van. I'm glad the drivers get air conditioning, I know it is a bone of contention with UPS and others. If you're hustling like you have to do as a delivery person you can overheat quickly. I hope Rivian makes enough money on these to develop camper and shuttle bus versions.
perfect stealth camper
Oh man, imagine if Rivian made a dedicated camper van with all the amenities.
This is legitimately cool. So much thought has gone into this product.
its good to see that people are actually taken care of, the delifery people also deserve the best
I just know these things are gonna be extremely popular in the "Van Life" world if anyone ever gets their hands on one.
I'm so glad that they made a separate cup holder for the pee bottle!
In Chicago we have seen this thing and it is big and quiet, so cool. imagine EV postal vans, UPS and FedEx trucks happening soon. Rivian EV RV van, oh yeah.
I wish they were available in Naperville!
Let's appreciate the fact that Marquess casually walked in into Amazon warehouse and started a review for their new delivery van.
I actually saw these when driving late at night through Pennsylvania. I just noticed a giant red U shaped light bar and was like “what vehicle is that?!?”
Drove past it, and the headlights were the dead giveaway.
It definitely looks cool in person, and I low key want one as a utility van.
I hope they can bring these to market. I would love to see what a tradesman could do with one of these.
In my opinion, this van could serve as a great option for transforming into an RV, and it can be a budget-friendly choice.
I had the same thought. With a chassis that big, there's probably room for a battery pack twice as big as it has now, and trim out the interior, could be a sweet way to tour national parks and such, with big windows and a panoramic sunroof.
This is the literally PERFECT use case of electric vehicules
im happy that the experience seems much better for drivers compared to traditional cargo vans with no or garbage ac. delivery drivers deliver a lot of things that are necessary or make life better for a lot of people and they deserve comfort just like everyone else
Great video as always Marques, and one of my favorite cars on the road! The clean lines, the blue accents, the quiet truck (which is super weird cause normally trucks are very loud). When you rang the horn at 8:23, i felt that to my core 😂
Glad Rivian was finally able to deliver these and hope they see continued success.
The belt clip though 🔥
Straight from the 90s
Fun fact: Amazon ended up paying only around 15K USD for each van (this does not include the shares in rivian automotive they also acquired from the purchase, so in reality, they actually paid significantly less than 15k per van (depending on future value of rivian automotive stock)).
What I nice delivery vehicle!! Thanks for look in to it!
This is great - the look inside we’ve all wanted.
I wonder if they’ll start selling to the public. I’d buy this van in a heartbeat. A great work van. Thanks for the great video.
Specs are cool but the van's front is giving 80's and 90's vibes...all in all nice video
You wanted a more futuristic techy vibe ?
@@tk80mufa5yep
Do you guys think this will ever become commercially available as second-hand "over flow" product? You know how some companies have their stuff for sale if it's been a long time and they just have too much overflow surplus? Reason I ask is because this looks like such a perfect vehicle for those pursuing "van life". Also seems like a great apocalypse van build. #zom100.
Seems like a pretty cool upgrade for the drivers. New technology with some nice comforts added in. Nice job Rivian.
I'm a UPS driver, and that is a thing of beauty. (It's way too small for our volume. Our smallest package cars are 800s, and the majority are 1000, and another large chunk being 1200.) But the comfy chairs, the AC in both cab and cargo area, the low step up, and the auto-opening bulkhead doors are wonderful and will make a huge difference in terms of RSIs and, you know, not dying of heat exhaustion. Our PCs look like they were designed as a medieval torture device by comparison. The only thing I don't like is the implication that drivers must use their own devices to scan that QR code and/or plug in. (Workers shouldn't have to subsidize billion-dollar corporations by bringing and using their own devices for work; but that's an Amazon thing, not a Rivian design thing.)
Unfortunately, most Amazon delivery drivers work for subcontractors who won't be getting these. They will be great for those few in-house drivers who get them, but I fear they will work more as marketing and PR than things that will meaningfully impact the majority of its underpaid, subcontracted delivery workforce. (And unless Amazon workers unionize and force the company to bring those subcontracted workers back in-house, I don't see these tiny, undercapitalized subcontractors being able to afford these beauties.)
But I'm happy to have these out there as models for what can and should be done for the workers who make our online shopping and WFH economy actually work.
Although this was shot on the Iphone 15 but it didn't felt like it, I mean the processing and video quality looks just like the 14s. How is it Marques? is the 15 really any good in terms of cameras?
yeah the low light didn't seem too impressive tbh
The quality is great, but the lens flares are giving me a headache