and they are teaming up with the goal of building large electric vans faster. The two companies have develop a strategic partnership and establish a joint manufacturing company. They hope to use their shared resources to cut costs and make electric vans more affordable while ramping up production.
The goal is to produce two vans on common assembly lines. One would be based on the VAN.EA architecture of Mercedes‑Benz Vans. The other would focus on Rivian’s second-generation Rivian Light Van platform. The two parties will also look at “other options to increase synergies.”
The companies aim to build the electric vehicles in a new factory at an existing Mercedes-Benz site in central or eastern Europe, starting in a few years. However, the plan is not set in stone, as Rivian and Mercedes-Benz have not reached a binding agreement and would have to overcome regulatory hurdles.
“We are delighted to partner with Mercedes‑Benz on this project,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in a statement. “Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s best-known and most 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.”
Both companies have already been, with Rivian having an agreement to do so. However, Rivian has suffered some problems in recent months. It is to meet the demand. It is to channel more resources into building vehicles. The company is setting up shop, but production won’t start there until 2024. Partnering with Mercedes to create common production lines could help it build electric vans faster.
From Mercedes’ perspective, this is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the transition to electric vans. The company said it is revamping its European production set-up and that by the middle of this decade, all of its new trucks will be fully electric.
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