Amazon wants to replace its existing fleet with electric vehicles
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Amazon has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion (£880 million) in electrifying its European transportation network over the next five years, including £300 million in the UK.
The company will invest in thousands of new electric vehicles which will more than double the size of its existing European zero-emission fleet.
In total, it will have at least 10,000 electric delivery vans, up from 3,000 at present, and more than 1,500 electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
To support this, Amazon will invest in thousands of chargers across its European facilities to allow the company and its partners to improve fleet charging.
Long haul transportation is particularly hard to decarbonise due to the size and weight of the trucks and trailers and the long distances they need to travel.
At present, electric vehicles look like a promising alternative but their roll-out is hampered by slow production and limited charging infrastructure.
Amazon currently has five electric HGVs on the road in the UK, and will have 20 on the road in Germany by the end of this year.
As well as its lorries and vans, the company also plans to double the number of hubs for e-cargo bikes and foot deliveries in European cities by 2025, taking more vehicles off the road.
The company has said that it wants to be net zero carbon by 2040.
Andy Jassy, Amazon’s CEO, said: “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.”
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK’s transport secretary, said: “Significant investments like Amazon’s today will be vital to reducing emissions and meeting our net zero goals, while supporting growth at the same time.”
