Nearly 5,000 new Amazon electric vans will arrive on European roads over the coming months, as the tech and e-commerce giant ramps up the decarbonisation of its fleet.
Describing the move as its “largest deployment” of electric vehicles in Europe, Amazon said the vans from Mercedes-Benz will be divided between Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the UK. It added the investment is part of its work toward The Climate Pledge, which is Amazon’s goal to achieve net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040.
The vans will join thousands of Amazon electric vans and other zero-exhaust-emission vehicles already deployed across Europe by the company and its delivery partners. The fleet includes electric vans, e-cargo bikes, e-mopeds, and pushcarts.
Amazon said it has worked with Mercedes to customise the eSprinter and eVito electric vans using what has been learned from its drivers and delivery partners. The vans will be manufactured in Germany and Spain.
Other decarbonisation measures Amazon is embarking on include working to increase route efficiency and aligning with industry and government to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure.
Additionally, in January, Amazon placed what it said was its largest-ever single order of electric heavy trucks, with more than 200 new eActros600 vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Trucks set to join the company’s middle-mile transportation network from this year onwards. The electric trucks will be deployed across high-mileage routes in the UK and Germany, transporting trailers to and from fulfilment centres, sort centres, and delivery stations.
There is a plan to install 360kW electric charging points at key Amazon sites, which will be capable of charging the batteries of the 40-tonne trucks from 20 to 80% in just over an hour. These zero-exhaust-emission vehicles are expected to transport more than 350 million packages each year once fully operational.
As well as the addition of Amazon electric vans and trucks, the company operates more than 60 micro-mobility hubs in over 45 European cities which enable deliveries on foot or via electric cargo bikes.
Neil Emery, director of global fleet & product at Amazon, said: “From electric bikes to vans to trucks and infrastructure, we are well on our way to transforming our transportation network.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Mercedes-Benz, other vehicle manufacturers, and policymakers to enable even faster electrification and decarbonisation across Europe.”
[image credit: Amazon]
