Van in Black is a small, “Mom-and-Pop,” transportation company in Western North Carolina with 16 vehicles and 150 weekly trips launched by Ryan and Terri Watts. Van in Black focuses on full day experiences to meet wedding, wine tour, and tourism needs. With more and more customers requesting a model from their electric fleet, Ryan shares why expanding electric transportation options meets customer needs and is a logical investment.
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North Carolina is seeing a surge in EV adoption, fueled by state and federal incentives to go electric. Given this landscape, our transportation business, Van in Black, has taken a forward-thinking approach by adding the Rivian to our fleet, a move that reflects our state’s growing commitment to innovation and the future of EVs.
I have a professional background in IT, and I also played music professionally. When I was transitioning out of IT, I had this van from my time going on tour, and thought, why not monetize the van? Well, it really took off! Fast forward to today, and we’re about to pick up our 16th vehicle, with 28 employees on the team. We’re in the business of moving people and giving them a great experience while doing it.
About four years ago, we started thinking seriously about electric vehicles (EVs). We read a lot about Rivian and realized about 95% of our company trips would fit well within the Rivian’s range. After putting down a deposit and getting on the waiting list, three years later, we finally got our hands on one. We’ve been loving it ever since.
Van in Black operates out of our home, and we’ve got a charger set up so the Rivian gets fully charged overnight. We reap significant gas savings – it costs about a quarter of what gas would to power up. The savings on maintenance also are massive compared to our diesel fleet, where just an oil change costs four times more than any car.
The Rivian is sleek, comfortable, and practical for what we do. It’s got great design, room in the back for luggage, and—while we don’t often get to take full advantage of it while driving with clients— it’s fast with almost 900 horsepower! It also is practical for us personally in ways we didn’t expect. When Terri broke her ankle last year, the Rivian was the only car she could comfortably get in and out of because of how it “kneels” when you park it.
People are really drawn to it — it’s new, it’s different, and it’s better for the environment. And honestly, from a business perspective, offering an EV option has opened doors for us.
We’ve noticed that customers, especially those booking for wine tours or weddings, love the option to experience an EV. People are really drawn to it — it’s new, it’s different, and it’s better for the environment. And honestly, from a business perspective, offering an EV option has opened doors for us. Some clients specifically seek out electric vehicles, and if we didn’t have the Rivian in our fleet, we wouldn’t have landed those bookings.
I’m also really into challenges, so when I got the chance to put the Rivian to the test, I didn’t hesitate. This year, we decided to drive it from North Carolina to Alaska and back—a 10,000-mile journey. There were times when things didn’t go according to plan, but that’s part of the fun for me. It’s like the old days of using MapQuest — you have to plan ahead, and sometimes things don’t go perfectly. But it adds a sense of adventure, and we discovered roads and viewpoints we never would’ve taken otherwise.
It’s exciting to be part of this early wave of EV adoption, especially here in the U.S., where the technology is only going to get better. Americans love options, and EVs provide that in a way that wasn’t available even a few years ago. There’s still room for improvement, of course, but that’s the fun of being an early adopter—getting to see how things evolve and change.
Our old Prius is still going strong, but when the time comes to upgrade, we’ll be going electric with the Rivian.
What’s next for us? We’re looking at another EV for our personal lives. Our old Prius is still going strong, but when the time comes to upgrade, we’ll be going electric with the Rivian. It’s a great car, flexible, fun to drive, and, as far as we’re concerned, the future of transportation.
