Amazon is adding more than 1,800 electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Vans to its delivery fleet in Europe this year.

The German car manufacturer has also joined The Climate Pledge, which calls on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040; a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement goal of 2050.

“We need continued innovation and partnership from auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to decarbonise the transportation sector and tackle the climate crisis,” said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos. “Amazon is adding 1,800 electric delivery vehicles from Mercedes-Benz as part of our journey to build the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world, and we will be moving fast to get these vans on the road this year.”

Ola Källenius, chairman of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz, added: “We stand with Amazon, Global Optimism and the other signatories of The Climate Pledge, in a commitment to being net zero carbon by 2040.”

Mercedes-Benz stated that it is evaluating ways to remove carbon from its entire value chain, from development to the supplier network, from its own production to the electrification of products and beyond, as well as to ensuring renewable energies for the use phase of electric vehicles.

By the end of this year, its vehicle portfolio will comprise five fully electric models and more than 20 plug-in hybrids.

Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners will have access to the new fleet of zero-emission vehicles to make deliveries to customers in Europe this year. More than 1,200 EVs in the latest order will be comprised of the newest electric commercial van available at Mercedes-Benz – the eSprinter, a larger model than the manufacturer’s first zero-emission vehicle, the eVito.

Fabio Massimo Castaldo, vice president at the European Parliament, commented: “Amazon continues to contribute to the achievement of the EU Green Deal goals, foster technological innovation and generate resilient and sustainable jobs in Europe."

As part of The Climate Pledge, Amazon has committed to run on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. Globally, the company has 91 renewable energy projects that have the capacity to generate over 2,900 MW and deliver more than 7.5 million MWh of energy annually. These projects include 31 utility-scale wind and solar renewable energy projects and 60 solar rooftops on fulfilment centres and sorting centres.

Share Story: