I’m a fan of Rivian and I especially like their EV vans used by Amazon to make deliveries. I continue to believe that Rivian should create a new company for their van production to make it completely separate from the passenger vehicle business – Rivian Commercial, for example.
I also like vans being manufactured by BrightDrop. FedEx is a customer of BrightDrop. It’s going to be interesting to watch how many customers BrightDrop can sign up to use their vans. Rivian and BrightDrop have proven they’re experts at making and delivering electric-powered vans for commercial use. Drivers I’ve spoken with told me they like the vans and that they’re glad EVs are being manufactured.
However, what’s next for the vans? What’s next for Amazon, FedEx, and other customers? In my opinion, I believe the next challenge for Rivian (or Amazon) to solve will be installing technology and robotics inside the vans to automate most of the processes related to loading, sorting, and delivering packages.
Those who read my posts or who listen to me speak on the topic of automation, know that I believe in the concept of ‘Mobile Retail’ and ‘Mobile Fulfillment Centers’. Specifically, I believe in loading what I call cartridges (trays stacked in racks) inside vans. The trays will hold a variety of retail products including over the counter medications, diapers, groceries, etc. Consumers will be able to leverage an app to “Hail a store” to their location and buy the products they want.
I also believe in using automation in the back of vans to make parcel deliveries more efficient. The process for preparing vans to make deliveries of parcels is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. On average, it can take between two to four hours to load packages into vans. In addition, the process drivers go through as they search for packages when they arrive at a customer’s home can be confusing and time-consuming. Worse, drivers are only able to deliver to one home before having to return the van and driving to the next home.
I believe the entire loading and delivery process is broken. I believe software and robotics can greatly improve package delivery. Rivian and Amazon should partner on developing a robotic solution to increase the speed of package delivery. As packages are scanned, they can automatically or manually be loaded into a vertical tower/modular unit with multiple shelves. Each shelf will have omnidirectional sortation capability to sort packages into the order they’ll be delivered. A robotic arm can also be used to sort and retrieve packages. Think of a mini-AS/RS system specifically designed to fit inside a van.
Once the tower is full, software can be utilized to create an optimized route for delivery. As soon as the vans are being driven out of the loading facility, the software begins to automatically arrange the packages inside the tower using the omni-sortation capability or robotic arm. Packages are placed in a pickup slot that a driver can easily access from the driver’s seat when making a delivery. This eliminates the need for drivers to sort through the packages inside the van to find the package they need.
Automating the package sortation process inside vans will prove especially useful as autonomous vehicles become the norm. Autonomous delivery vans will be able to make deliveries without the need of human assistance. Instead of packages being placed in a location for a driver to retrieve, packages can be placed on mobile robots located inside the van to make deliveries to homes and businesses. The robots will leave the van to make deliveries and then return to the van for more packages. What I describe is a 100% automated delivery process. It is also the lowest cost delivery model that can be achieved leveraging vans.
I am convinced that the idea I have outlined will become a reality as early as 2026 to 2030. A startup will design a system similar to what I describe, or one or more of the large parcel carriers will design a robotic package system for use inside their delivery vans, FedEx or UPS for example. I believe Amazon and Rivian are the ideal partners to design and implement a robotic parcel system inside a van.
