Amazon orders 1,800 electric Mercedes vans for deliveries

Amazon has ordered 1,800 full-electric vans from Mercedes-Benz for its deliveries in Europe as a way to get closer to its target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2040.

The order consists of 600 medium-sized eVitos and more than 1,200 large-size eSprinter vans (like the one pictured on top) to be used for Germany and the UK. A majority of the vans will go into service this year.

It is the largest order for electric Mercedes vehicles to date. This order does not come close, however, to the 100,000 vehicle order Amazon placed with Rivian in 2019.

In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism founded the Climate Pledge, setting the goal of contributing to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years earlier than the intended deadline, i.e. already in 2040.

The signing companies agree to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis and to implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business change and innovation. This includes efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reduction and other carbon emission elimination strategies.

Mercedes-Benz has joined the Climate Plegde with its own Ambition 2039 initiative. Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG said: “We stand with Amazon, Global Optimism and the other signatories of The Climate Pledge, in a commitment to being net zero carbon by 2040 – ten years ahead of The Paris Agreement. I am pleased that we will be able to gain even more momentum on our sustainability offensive with this step."

Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, said: "We need continued innovation and partnership from car manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to decarbonise the transportation sector and tackle the climate crisis. The addition of 1,800 electric delivery vehicles is another step in our journey to building the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world, and we will be moving fast to get these vans on the road this year."

Image: Mercedes-Benz eSprinter in Amazon livery (source: Mercedes-Benz)