Amazon will begin rolling out 300 custom electric delivery vans from Rivian in the Munich, Berlin and Dusseldorf regions of Germany.
According to the companies, Amazon’s custom electric delivery vans from Rivian are designed from the ground up with safety, sustainability and comfort in mind, and have been thoroughly tested by drivers in Germany. The custom vehicles include innovative technology and features such as: a safety-first design focused on superior 360° visibility, and vehicle features that protect drivers and pedestrians; a suite of innovative safety features including a large windshield to enhance driver visibility, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and collision warnings; embedded technology that fully integrates the delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing, navigation, driver support and more; features to enhance the driver experience and create ease on the road such as automatic door locking/unlocking as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle, and a powered bulkhead door that opens when drivers reach their delivery location; a strengthened door on the driver’s side for additional protection, and an ergonomically designed driver’s cabin and cargo area for safe, and easy movement inside the van; and batteries that are light, resilient, and low cost in addition to lasting the lifetime of the vehicle. In Europe, Amazon and Rivian specially designed a shorter, thinner van than its US counterpart in order to better fit in Europe’s cities.
Amazon began rolling out its custom electric delivery vans from Rivian in the USA last summer and already has more than 3,000 vans delivering packages in over 500 US cities and regions. The company aims to have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian on the road globally by 2030. The vans are the product of Amazon’s partnership with Rivian, which the companies announced in 2019 when Amazon co-founded and became the first signatory of The Climate Pledge – a commitment to reach net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040.
These initiatives form part of Amazon’s plans to invest more than €1bn (US$1bn) to electrify its European transportation network and reduce carbon emissions over the coming years, including more than €400m (US$435m) in Germany. In 2022, Amazon 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 to customers in Europe. The new vans from Rivian, along with the expansion of micro-mobility hubs across European cities, will help Amazon deliver even more packages in zero-emission vehicles. Amazon has also added thousands of charging stations at its facilities across Europe and will continue to invest in building an infrastructure to support a more sustainable delivery fleet.
Neil Emery, director of global fleet and product at Amazon, said, “Together, Amazon and Rivian designed and built a state-of-the-art electric vehicle from the ground up, and unlike anything else on the road today. The safety and comfort of our drivers were top of mind for us throughout this process, and we’ve raised the bar on both with the vehicle we are rolling out in Europe today.”
Dagan Mishoulam, vice president of strategy and go to market at Rivian, said, “We’re thrilled to see the EDV [electric delivery van] rolling out in Germany. This vehicle was designed in conjunction with our partners at Amazon and not only puts driver convenience and safety first, but also the environment. We’ve had incredible feedback from drivers in the US and we’re excited to start international expansion in Germany. Today is a real milestone for us as it also marks the first Rivian vehicles in Europe and we’re very excited about our future in the region.”
Rocco Bräuniger, country manager for Amazon.de, commented, “Amazon is committed to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040, and reducing our delivery-related emissions is a critical part of this goal. Last year we delivered more than 45 million packages in Germany with electric vans and e-cargo bikes, and these new additions from Rivian will help us deliver packages more sustainably and to more customers.”
Read more key vehicles/fleet updates from the parcel and postal technology industry, here.
