Rivian Working on Vans for Walmart? Investors Could Get Their Answer Thursday

Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) has enjoyed a partnership with Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) to supply delivery vans. Since that deal ended exclusivity, Rivian has seen some interest from other customers, but failed to land a big whale. That could be changing with reports that Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) could be circling the EV company.

Rivian Walmart Van Image Sparks Interest

Images shared on social media of a Rivian delivery van outfitted with Walmart+ logos have sparked speculation that the retailer could be working with the EV company. The good news for investors is they may get their answer on Thursday, with Rivian reporting quarterly financial results after market close.

An image of a Rivian delivery van with Walmart logos, similar to the vans Amazon uses, sitting on a car hauler has caught attention in the EV world, as reported by Electrek.

Rivian could share the news if the partnership is official, or an analyst could ask about the image or any new partners for the delivery van.

Rivian has a deal in place with Amazon.com for 100,000 delivery vans, with around 50,000 already delivered.

In November 2023, that deal lost exclusivity.

Rivian has managed to land some smaller deals with AT&T and HelloFresh for delivery vans, but nothing in the realm of the Amazon deal or a potential Walmart deal.

The questions are whether the image is real, in a world where AI images go viral, and if it is, whether this is a test vehicle or something larger for the two companies.

As shared by Electrek, Walmart has not had success with previous electric van partners. The company signed a 4,500-van deal with Canoo in 2022. That company later declared bankruptcy in 2025. Walmart also signed a deal with General Motors (NYSE:GM) for 5,000 BrightDrop vans. GM later discontinued this vehicle.

It is unclear exactly how many electric delivery vans Walmart ended up with or how many it would need.

Rivian’s Earnings on Deck

According to data from Cox Automotive, van deliveries are heating up for Rivian. In the third quarter, Rivian sold 8,469 delivery vans, up 220.9% year-over-year. This was more than the R1S, R1T and new R2 combined for the quarter, according to InsideEVs.

Year-to-date through Sept. 30, Rivian has sold 15,685 electric delivery vans, up 130.4% year-over-year. That ranks first among electric delivery vans by a wide margin, with the discontinued BrightDrop second at 1,344 units sold in 2026.

This sales ramp-up raises the question of whether Amazon is getting all the vans or if other customers, like Walmart, are in play.

Hopefully, investors get an answer on Thursday.

Analysts expect Rivian to report record quarterly revenue of $1.98 billion, up from $1.56 billion in last year’s third quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro. The current record is $1.66 billion in the second quarter of this year.

Rivian has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in six of the last 10 quarters and for revenue in nine of the last 10 quarters, including seven straight quarters.

Rivian Stock Price Action

Rivian shares are trading flat $11.68 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $11.42 to $22.69. Rivian stock is down 40.7% year-to-date.

Photo: Michael Vi / Shutterstock