Amazon has expanded its fleet of electric vehicles to include heavy-duty trucks, with nearly 50 all-electric trucks being rolled out in Southern California. These trucks will be used for first- and middle-mile operations to help decarbonize the company’s delivery operations, with the trucks expected to travel over 1 million miles each year emitting zero tailpipe emissions. These electric trucks will play a key role in moving goods through global logistics and transporting Amazon orders between fulfillment centers, sort centers, air facilities, and delivery stations.
Amazon has already deployed electric trucks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for transporting containers to a facility in Santa Fe Springs, with plans to have a dozen of these vehicles in operation by the end of the year. In addition to the heavy-duty trucks, the company has also installed over 45 direct current fast chargers across 11 sites in Southern California to power the electric trucks. The trucks, which include battery-electric Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks with a range of up to 275 miles and a gross combination weight of 82,000 pounds, will help reduce carbon emissions in the transportation network.
Amazon’s vice president of Worldwide Amazon Operations, Udit Madan, emphasized the importance of decarbonizing heavy-duty trucking, highlighting the difficulty in achieving this goal. By deploying these electric vehicles, Amazon aims to learn valuable insights that will help in identifying and investing in solutions to reduce emissions in the transportation network. The company’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2040, as well as its investments in wind and solar energy to power its operations and support climate tech startups.
In addition to the electric trucks, Amazon has also scaled its use of custom electric delivery vans from Rivian, with over 13,500 of these vehicles now in operation across the U.S. These efforts align with the company’s commitment to the Climate Pledge, which urges others to join in the effort to combat climate change. While Amazon’s carbon emissions increased between 2019 and 2021, they have since dropped in 2022, showcasing the positive impact of the company’s sustainability initiatives. Overall, Amazon’s investment in electric vehicles and renewable energy sources reflects its dedication to reducing its environmental impact and fostering a more sustainable future.
