HelloFresh recently shared some exciting news! They are welcoming 70 all-electric commercial vans from Rivian, with the company being the first large scale customer to introduce these vehicles into their delivery fleet. This development comes shortly after Rivian ended its exclusive partnership with Amazon, which had previously ordered 100,000 electric vans to reduce its climate impact. As of February, Amazon had already put 20,000 of these Rivian vans to work in its delivery network.
Rivian started production of its commercial vans in 2021. In November 2023, the company finally made its exclusivity agreement with Amazon official, exiting the agreement. That change allowed the company to begin providing its electric delivery vans to additional businesses. They didn’t formally open their commercial van fleet to new customers until way out in February of 2025. During the intervening period, Rivian prepared its commercial fleet line for a wider range of clients, gathering feedback through pilot programs with various fleet customers.
This new fleet of vans makes up almost one quarter of all delivery vans used by the company, at a total of 70 vehicles. This transition to electric has already saved the meal kit company hundreds of tons of transportation-related greenhouse gases per year. HelloFresh conservatively estimates that it has saved over 20,000 gallons of gas since rolling out these Rivian vans. So far the company has achieved a decrease in CO2 emissions by 200 tonnes. This drop is undoubtedly connected to their decision to invest heavily in electric delivery vehicles.
Rivian manufactures two different sizes of commercial vans, made to accommodate different logistical demands. This flexibility helps companies and operators such as HelloFresh deploy their fleet around unique operational needs. The company’s decision to embrace electric vehicles aligns with broader sustainability efforts within the delivery sector, reflecting a growing trend towards greener alternatives.
Amazon was fundamental to Rivian’s success. Only seven months prior to the commercial fleet launch, the retail giant had led a $700 million investment round in the still nascent electric vehicle manufacturer. This investment helped fund the production and roll out of the first 1,000 of these electric vans, helping Amazon grow this fleet as quickly as possible.