Mercedes-Benz partners with Rivian to electrify Europe’s van market

Automobile manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Rivian have announced an intention to establish a joint venture (JV) to manufacture electric vans in Europe. The stated purpose of the JV is to invest and operate a large-scale manufacturing facility for electric vans to serve the European market. The facility is expected to exclusively cater for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, building on Mercedes-Benz existing capacities in central and eastern Europe. The JV will optimise cost and production synergies between the two firms, both of which are focused on the global EV market. Mathias Geisen, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans said the company was “accelerating the transformation to a fully electric product portfolio”. He added: “From 2025 onwards, all vans based on our new architecture, VAN.EA, will be electric-only. I am delighted that as part of this transformation we are now joining forces with Rivian.”