Amazon has announced plans to invest over 1 billion EUR in electric delivery vehicles over the next five years.
The company said it hoped this investment would help drive the uptake of zero-emission vehicles across the industry and encourage the deployment of public charging infrastructure.
Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO said:The company is already using thousands of zero-emission vehicles across its European operations, and this investment will add thousands more, accelerating Amazon’s progress toward becoming net-zero carbon by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas of our business to decarbonise, and to achieve net-zero carbon will require a substantial and sustained investment. Deploying thousands of electric vans, long-haul trucks, and bikes will help us shift further away from traditional fossil fuels—and hopefully, further encourage transportation and automotive industries in Europe and around the world to continue scaling and innovating, as we will have to work together to reach our climate goals.
Amazon currently operates 3,000 electric vans in Europe and expects to grow this fleet to more than 10,000 by 2025.
The company has also launched micromobility hubs in more than 20 European cities, including London, and expects to double that figure by the end of 2025 to take traditional delivery vans off the road.
In addition, Amazon will invest in thousands of chargers across its European facilities and will scale up its fleet of electric heavy goods vehicles.
Long-haul transportation is considered challenging to decarbonise on road due to the size and weight of the trucks and the long distances they travel. Amazon currently has five electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) operating in the UK, and will have 20 on the road in Germany by the end of this year.
Amazon now hopes to use its size and scale to drive an increase in eHGV production. With this latest investment, the company expects to purchase more than 1,500 eHGVs in Europe.
