Amazon touts €1bn investment in EVs in Europe

Image: Amazon UK

Amazon said in a statement that it is already operating “hundreds” of zero-emission vehicles in Europe, both for deliveries and to serve its network of warehouses. The statement added that the new investment should enable the deployment of “thousands more”.

Specifically, the firm has 3,000 electric vans delivering packages in Europe at present – representing the majority of its electric fleet. It will aim to operate more than 10,000 by 2025.

As well as investing in vans, Amazon will grow its micromobility offering in cities. In 20 cities across Europe, with London being its only UK-based location at present, the firm operates delivery stations which offer last-mile delivery options such as e-cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries. Funding will be used to launch a further 20 micromobility ‘hubs’ by 2025 and to expand the e-cargo bike fleets at existing locations.

The London hub in Shoreditch launched this summer, with Amazon starting at the time that the capital’s 2030 net-zero target and its Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) were important factors in choosing to locate its first UK-based micromobility hub there.

The other priority for Amazon’s investment package will be growing its fleet of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs). At present, the firm operates five eHGVs in the UK and is set to have 20 operating in Germany by the end of 2022. eHGVs are in their relative commercial infancy.

With the investment announced today (10 October), Amazon expects to purchase and roll out at least 700 eHGVs in the UK and at least a further 800 in other European markets.

“Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas of our business to decarbonize, and to achieve net-zero carbon will require a substantial and sustained investment,” said Amazon’s chief executive Andy Jassy. Amazon is notably working towards a 2040 net-zero target known as the ‘Climate Pledge’

Jassy added: “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.”

It bears noting that Amazon continues to face calls to strengthen its 2040 climate target and supporting commitments.