Rivian beats Tesla to a commercial electric delivery van with release date slated for April

Rivian has beaten Tesla to the release of a commercial electric van that can be used for both city center deliveries and, in a larger version, for hauling more cargo.

Dubbed the Delivery 500 and Delivery 700, respectively, the two commercial vehicles styled after Rivian's dedicated Amazon van fleet will be available for individual purchase in April.

That is a slightly longer timeframe than the Q1 2025 release date that Rivian promised for its first electric van, but only by a month or so, and Rivian just detailed all the vans' specifications.

Rivian Delivery 500 and Delivery 700 price, range, and specs

• $79,990 starting price
• 160-mile range
• 100 kWh battery
• 320 HP
• 9,500 lbs (4,309 kg) Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
• 2,663 lbs (1,208 kg) or 2,258 lbs (1,024 kg) payload
• 8-year battery warranty

All in all, the difference between Rivian's Delivery 500 or 700 Series of vans is the length of the cargo hold of 248 inches and 278 inches, respectively, with the driver's seat on both designed for visibility and comfort.

While the 160 miles of range on a charge from the 100 kWh LFP battery may seem a tad on the short side, these are commercial delivery vans that are meant for city streets and overnight charging.

Also, with the ever-increasing amount of emission restrictions in urban areas and especially downtown in city centers, Rivian will be well positioned for the inevitable electric van revolution, now that anybody can buy its delivery vehicles.

The only ho-hum part is the price, but Rivian is obviously targeting the federal tax credit threshold that may lower its Delivery 500 or 700 Series prices to a level comparable with the average decked-out commercial van in the US.

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