A bit over a year ago Amazon introduced the “climate pledge” to drive the fourth most valuable company in the world to net zero emissions by 2040. One major step in that pledge was the introduction of a new Rivian-built fleet of electric delivery vans. Amazon announced on Thursday that it had received the first of its 100,000-unit order. For the pledge to come true, Amazon will need to act quickly, as the company’s carbon footprint grew 15 per cent in 2019 (when it made this pledge).
In spite of having the vehicle on-hand, the company won’t start delivering with this van until at least 2022, though it says the full hundred k will be in play by 2030. This full-height van is the first of three models Amazon has developed exclusively with Rivian, with the other two coming soon.
In addition to being completely electric, Amazon and Rivian say that this new generation of vans will be safer as well. The new van is designed with a huge day light opening to provide drivers with the visibility they need to safely navigate compact cities and densely driven highways. Add in 360-degree surround view cameras, massive LED tail lights, integrated voice-activation navigation, and
“When we set out to create our first customised electric delivery vehicle with Rivian, we knew that it needed to far surpass any other delivery vehicle. We wanted drivers to love using it and customers to feel excited when they saw it driving through their neighbourhood and pulling up to their home,” said Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products. “We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here-the future of last mile delivery.”
“The vehicle we’ve developed with Amazon is not just electric. We prioritised safety and functionality to create a vehicle that’s optimised for package delivery,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO. “We thought through how drivers get in and out of the van, what the work space feels like and what the work flow is for delivering packages.”
I wonder if this new Amazon delivery vehicle’s safety systems will help when drivers feel like they are pressured to speed, drive recklessly, and pee in bottles to make their daily delivery quotas?
I really hate Amazon, but I love Rivian, so I’m a little torn here. In any case, it’ll be pretty cool when getting retired from the Amazon fleet and I can buy one at auction in 2045.
Remember when Amazon was just a book competitor?
