Rivian’s electric van gets 30% more range and AWD, now delivering — SkimNews
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- Rivian said in its Q3 2026 shareholder presentation that upgraded EDV 700 deliveries began in early October, marking the van’s first major hardware upgrade since production started in 2021.
- EDV 700 variants use a 129 kWh LFP pack and add dual-motor AWD; applying the current up-to-160-mile rating puts FWD near 208 miles and AWD around 195–200 miles, roughly the range Rivian promised for Amazon deliveries in 2022.
- EPA certification documents for the 2027 EDV 700, issued Sept. 17, list 129 kWh usable and unadjusted lab ranges of 355.5 miles for FWD (+36%) and 322.25 miles for AWD (+23%), versus 261.7 miles for the current FWD model.
- EDV 500 keeps its existing battery and front-wheel drive; only the larger 700 receives the upgrade, and that 700 offers 652 cubic feet of cargo space.
- Amazon remains overwhelmingly dominant in Rivian’s van business, while Rivian says the larger pack and AWD are designed specifically to expand route coverage into more rural networks.
- E-Transit is now the main full-size electric van alternative in the U.S. after GM ended BrightDrop production in Ontario and Canoo went bankrupt.
- Walmart+-branded Rivian van was spotted on a car hauler in Indiana, but neither Walmart nor Rivian has announced a fleet deal.
Why it matters: Rivian’s roughly 200-mile estimated range closes a gap that once limited the EDV 700 to short urban loops, while AWD adds a concrete option for rural routes. With BrightDrop production gone and Canoo bankrupt, Ford’s E-Transit faces Rivian’s upgraded van, but Rivian still needs non-Amazon orders to convert the upgrade into volume.
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