Production of Amazon’s electric delivery vans on April 11, 2022 at Rivian’s plant in Normal, Ill.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
Mercedes-Benz and Rivian said on Thursday it is planning a joint venture to build large, electric commercial trucks for both brands.
The companies plan to build two different EV trucks — one for each — on a common assembly line, the companies said. The idea is to reduce costs for both companies by sharing investments, technology and suppliers.
It plans to build a new electric-only production facility at Mercedes-Benz’s existing plant site in Central or Eastern Europe, with production to begin in “a few years”, two companies. company said in a statement.
Mathias Geisen, head of commercial vans at Mercedes, said: “Mercedes ‑ Benz Vans has had extensive experience in the production and launch of eVans since 2010. We are now accelerating the transformation. to the category of all-electric products. “We are sharing investments and technology [with Rivian] because we share the same strategic ambition: to accelerate the electrification of the van market with superior and sustainable products for our customers. “
While Mercedes-Benz has been making commercial vehicles for years and electric trucks for more than a decade, Rivian is a newcomer in the segment. Michigan-based EV startup start building EV delivery trucks Because Amazon early this year, just a few months after it started manufacturing its own high-end electric pickup truck and SUVs at the plant in Illinois.
While the trucks that Mercedes and Rivian produce will likely end up being similar, they will have different designs: Mercedes’ will be based on its upcoming new EV van architecture, which is expected launched in 2025; Rivian on the next-generation version of the light truck platform it developed for Amazon.
