Amazon’s Custom Electric Delivery Vehicles Hit the Road
Through a partnership with Rivian, Amazon is introducing custom, state-of-the-art electric delivery vehicles in several cities throughout the U.S. The initial rollout will take place in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis and other cities, and the vehicles will be utilized in more than 100 cities by the end of the year.
The electric delivery vehicles are part of Amazon’s pledge to reach net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040, and 100,000 of them will be on the road by 2030. They feature a safety-first design, first-of-its-kind embedded technology to integrate the delivery workflow and a powered door that automatically opens when the driver reaches their destination.
“Fighting the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “Rivian has been an excellent partner in that mission, and we’re excited to see our first custom electric delivery vehicles on the road.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our Climate Pledge commitment,” Jassy continued. “Rivian was one of the first companies Amazon invested in through the Climate Pledge Fund, and we’re just getting started on our journey to have 100,000 of Rivian’s vehicles on the road by 2030. And, in addition to being sustainable, these new vehicles are also great for drivers — they were designed with driver input and feedback along the way, and they’re among the safest and most comfortable delivery vehicles on the road today.”
As part of its investment in electric vehicles, Amazon has added thousands of charging stations to its delivery stations and has also partnered with the nonprofit CERES, and as well as other fleet operators, to launch the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance to help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
“Today represents an important step, not just for Amazon and Rivian as partners, but also for transportation and the environment,” said RJ Scaringe, CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based Rivian. “In 2019, Rivian and Amazon committed to fast-tracking a new type of delivery vehicle that would result in a significant reduction of carbon emissions. Thanks to our teams’ dedication, hard work and collaboration, and a shared commitment to make the world a better place for our kids’ kids, that vision is now being realized. To say this is an exciting moment is an understatement — we’re thrilled to see this partnership has kickstarted decarbonization projects across the logistics delivery industry.”
Seattle-based Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
