Mercedes-Benz Vans and electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the production of electric vans.
Once all the relevant agreements have been signed, the two companies aim to set up a new joint venture (JV) manufacturing company in Europe in the next few years. The JV manufacturing company would subsequently invest in and operate a factory that would produce large electric vans under both the Mercedes and Rivian brand names. The proposed electric-only manufacturing site would leverage an existing Mercedes-Benz facility in Central/Eastern Europe.
With aims to use production-optimized vehicle designs for efficient manufacturing on common assembly lines, the pair seek to produce two large vans. The first will be based on the electric-only VAN.EA (Mercedes-Benz Vans Electric Architecture) platform; the second will be based on Rivian’s second-generation electric van, the Rivian Light Van (RLV).
“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 that will not only benefit our customers but also the planet.”
“As a pioneer in the field of locally emission-free transportation, Mercedes-Benz Vans has gained broad experience in producing and launching e-vans since 2010,” added Mathias Geisen, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “Now we are accelerating the transformation to a fully electric product portfolio. From 2025 onward, all vans based on our new architecture VAN.EA will be electric-only. I am delighted that as part of this transformation, we are now joining forces with Rivian, a highly dynamic and inspiring partner with a strong technology position. 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.”