Chevy’s Ford E-Transit Rival Being Tested By Amazon

There was a time, not too long ago, when Ford was heavily invested in Rivian, with plans to utilize that company’s EV platform in its own future models. A lot has changed since then, and The Blue Oval ditched those plans (and investments), meaning that the Ford E-Transit is now more of a direct rival to Rivian’s own EV delivery van. Online retail giant Amazon is in the process of purchasing a large number of Rivian vans, but according to a new report, it’s now eyeing another Ford rival as a way to help beef up its fleet.

That rival is Chevy’s Brightdrop EV van, according to GM Authority, as Amazon has begun testing a small fleet of 12 of those units as part of a new pilot program. The idea is to determine if the Brightdrop vans are well-suited for large-scale delivery use, as well as another way to help it achieve its goal of employing a fleet of 100,000 all-electric delivery vans, regardless of brand. Previously, Rivian and Amazon had an exclusive deal, but that has since ended, leaving both open to exploring other options.

Currently, Amazon has 31,000 EV vans in its fleet, of which more than 24,000 are Rivians, vehicles built in Illinois and not subjected to tariffs like the Canadian-built Brightdrop vans. However, it certainly stands to reason that GM needs the business, as those same units have faced lagging demand as of late, prompting the automaker to pause production on more than one occasion – including right now.

As for the more successful Ford E-Transit, it will continue to do battle with both the Rivian and Brightdrop vans in this small but growing space. Rivian still plans to fulfill its obligation to supply Amazon with 100,000 vans by 2030, but is looking to ramp up sales by also selling to other commercial entities. Previously, Ford CEO Jim Farley criticized Rivian’s decision to only sell vans to one customer, a strategy that he called “flawed.”