Mercedes-Benz and Rivian Sign Agreement to Produce Electric Vans

Rivian has shown a lot of promise since its inception, but not everything has been smooth sailing for the upstart EV maker. The pandemic didn't help, but the production rate it initially anticipated has been difficult to achieve, a situation that made some people doubt it.

Ford invested heavily in the venture early on, but the agreement for vehicle production between the two manufacturers was subsequently cancelled. Another agreement with Amazon has seen Rivian working hard to fill an order for 100,000 electric vans. In short, there's been no shortage of action.

This time, Rivian’s dance partner is Mercedes-Benz. The EV maker and the German automaker’s van division today announced a memorandum of understanding to begin a “strategic partnership” that, pending regulatory processes, will lead to the creation of a new joint venture dedicated to producing electric vans.

The plan calls for the construction of a new plant exclusively dedicated to building electric vans in Central or Eastern Europe, “leveraging an existing Mercedes-Benz site”. The new production facility would focus on building full-size electric vans for Rivian and Mercedes-Benz.

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