Amazon announced Thursday the latest step in the decarbonization of its transportation network with the launch of the company’s first electric delivery vans in Canada.
Fifty custom electric delivery vans from Rivian are hitting the road in Greater Vancouver, with benefits for customers, delivery drivers and local neighbourhoods, said the company.
“Amazon has always been committed to offering the fastest delivery speeds for our customers, and it’s tremendously exciting to now launch our first major initiative targeting the decarbonization of our local delivery fleet,” said Eva Lorenz, Vice President and Country Manager, Amazon Canada. “We know that investing in solutions that reduce our impact on the environment also has benefits for our customers, employees and business partners.”
“We’re thrilled to launch Amazon’s first custom electric delivery vans in Canada. As we advance our local investments and innovations, this initiative reflects Amazon’s broader mission to build a transportation network that works for our customers, our communities, and our planet,” said Jasmin Begagic, Director of AMZL Canada.
The new EDVs will operate out of Amazon’s DYV1 delivery station in Delta, BC, where two local Amazon Delivery Service Partners have incorporated the vehicles into their routes.
The custom EDVs 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—with the goal of reaching net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040, said Amazon.
“Today marks an exciting milestone in our five-year history of operations in Canada,” said Tom Solomon, Rivian’s Vice President of B2B Growth and Business Development. “The Rivian electric delivery van is unlike anything else on the market. We’ve engineered this vehicle to be the superior choice for fleets, intentionally integrating safety, comfort, and sustainability into every detail.”
The company said Rivian vehicles include a range of industry-leading safety, navigation, and design features that raise the bar for drivers, pedestrians and neighbourhoods, including:
- A safety-first design focused on superior 360-degree visibility; sensor detection; a large windshield to enhance driver visibility; automatic emergency braking; adaptive cruise control; and collision warnings.
- First-of-its-kind embedded technology that fully integrates the Amazon delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing, navigation, driver support, package organization, 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.
- Ventilated seats that provide drivers with fast heating and cooling.
- An ergonomically designed driver’s cabin and cargo area for safe, easy movement inside the van.
Amazon said it aims to have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian on the road globally by 2030, helping to save millions of metric tons of carbon per year. Amazon has more than 35,000 electric delivery vehicles already on the road around the world. More than 1.5 billion Amazon packages have been delivered by electric vehicles globally.
To learn more about Amazon’s global commitment to sustainability, click here.
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Amazon announces this just as GM is cancelling its EV delivery van, which was built in Canada. Imagine an alternate world where Amazon cares about Canada and buys these GM vans to deliver its packages in Canada. What a concept! Instead, we have Amazon pulling out of doing business in Quebec and importing US-made vans to do deliveries in BC.