Fleet partnerships essential for electric van start-up success

Activity in the electric van and truck segments continues at a pace, with ambitions to serve an increasingly regulated last-mile delivery segment that could drive many fleets down the path of electrification. By now, the likes of Arrival, Rivian, Workhorse and Xos have generated plenty of positive and not-so-positive headlines. Some have secured all-important partnerships with the big fleets, such as Rivian’s order for 100,000 zero-emission vans from Amazon, whilst UPS has committed to 10,000 vehicles from Arrival. Others have run into difficulty, with Workhorse failing to secure a contract for the US Postal Service and missing delivery targets.