Amazon inducts custom-built EVs into European fleet

Retail giant Amazon has started adding its custom-built electric vehicles to its European delivery fleet, the company announced on Tuesday. In a statement, Amazon said it would add 300 of the vans to operations in Germany over the coming weeks, starting with the cities of Munich, Berlin and Dusseldorf.

Amazon's custom delivery vans are designed by the US EV maker Rivian. The e-tailer says the vans have been designed from the ground-up, with safety, sustainability, and comfort in mind, and thoroughly tested by drivers. The company began rolling out the custom vans in the US last year, and has so far integrated more than 3,000 vans in over 500 US cities and regions. The European version of its van is shorter and thinner than the US version, to better fit into Europe's cities, which often have narrower and winding streets.

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Amazon has said it plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian on the road globally by 2030, as part of its attempt to reduce carbon emissions. The company last year announced that it would invest more than €1 billion to electrify its European transportation network, earmarking €400 million for that for Germany. It has also been adding charging stations at its facilities across Europe to ensure support for EV deliveries.

In the statement, Amazon noted that last year, it used zero-emission vehicles, including electric vans and micro-mobility solutions like e-cargo bikes, e-scooters, and walkers, to deliver more than 120 million packages across Europe.