Rivian, the company best known for its successful R1T electric pickup truck line, has signed a cooperation agreement with Mercedes-Benz. The companies undertake to open a joint-stock enterprise in Europe to produce MPVs and vans under both badges.
The factory will assemble cars based on at least two different platforms – the Mercedes-Benz commercial transports architecture and the proprietary Rivian chassis. Both companies hope to be able to optimize processes so as to enable using one and the same assembly line for the production of different cars.
New electric vehicles are also in the plans, but the details still aren’t there. The main goal right now is to launch electric van production quickly and saturate the market of Europe with them. Mercedes-Benz Vans says all of its vehicles will be fully electric in three years’ time.
It remains unknown where the factory will be located. Existing Mercedes-Benz industrial sites in Central and Eastern Europe certainly look the most promising.