Mercedes-Benz and Rivian team up to build electric commercial vans in Europe

Mercedes-Benz and Rivian said Thursday they are readying a associated task to physique large, electrical commercialized vans for some brands.

The companies program to physique 2 antithetic EV vans – 1 for each institution – connected a shared assembly line, the companies said. The thought is to trim costs for some companies by sharing investments, exertion and suppliers.

They program to physique a caller EV-only accumulation installation astatine an existing Mercedes-Benz mill tract successful Central oregon Eastern Europe, with accumulation starting successful "a fewer years," the 2 companies said successful a statement.

"Mercedes‑Benz Vans has gained wide acquisition successful producing and launching eVans since 2010. Now we are accelerating the translation to a afloat electrical merchandise portfolio," said Mathias Geisen, caput of Mercedes' commercialized van unit. "We are sharing investments and exertion [with Rivian] due to the fact that we besides stock the aforesaid strategical ambition: accelerating the electrification of the van marketplace with sustainable and superior products for our customers."

While Mercedes-Benz has been gathering commercialized vehicles for galore years, and electrical vans for implicit a decade, Rivian is simply a newcomer to the segment. The Michigan-based EV startup began gathering EV transportation vans for Amazon earlier this year, conscionable a fewer months aft it began accumulation of its ain upscale electrical pickups and SUVs successful its Illinois factory.

Although the vans Mercedes and Rivian volition yet physique volition apt beryllium similar, they'll beryllium antithetic designs: Mercedes' volition beryllium based connected its upcoming caller EV van architecture, acceptable to debut successful 2025; Rivian's connected the next-generation mentation of the airy van level it developed for Amazon.