In Europe, Amazon is introducing Rivian-made electric delivery vehicles, starting with Germany.
The e-commerce behemoth Amazon has started deploying its Rivian-made Electric Delivery Vehicle (EDV) electric van in Europe. These electric vans have been delivered to the German affiliate for the first time. In the upcoming weeks, Amazon sites in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Munich will begin operating more than 300 Amazon EDVs that have already been shipped to Germany. These new additions join the fleet of 1,000 electric vans currently in use nationwide from various brands.
“Together, Amazon and Rivian have developed and produced a state-of-the-art electric vehicle from scratch. It’s unlike anything currently on the road. The safety and comfort of our partner drivers have the highest priority for us. With the vehicle that we are presenting in Germany today, we are setting new standards in terms of both aspects.”
Neil Emery, Director Global Fleet & Product at Amazon|In Europe, Amazon is introducing Rivian-made electric courier vehicles, starting with Germany
With 500 cities and regions in the United States currently served by Amazon’s fleet of Electric Delivery Vehicles (EDVs), the EDV 500 and EDV 700 models each offer 500 or 700 cubic feet of storage. Rivian, the company that makes the EDVs, has introduced the EDV 500, a model that is smaller and more streamlined, for the European market, according to information provided to InsideEVs by Rivian.
In comparison to its sibling, the EDV 700, which measures 277 inches (7,000 mm) in length and has a wheelbase of 187 inches, the EDV 500 is smaller, measuring 248 inches (6,300 mm) in length and 157 inches (4,000 mm) in width (4,700 mm). In addition, the EDV 500 is 7 inches (180 mm) narrower than the EDV 700.
According to Amazon, its German drivers have been thoroughly testing the new European-spec EDVs since last year. Rivian has been able to optimize the vehicle’s functionality, safety features, and general durability under a variety of climatic and geographic conditions thanks to this extensive testing phase.
The e-commerce company claims that the EDV’s features have been improved to put a priority on driver satisfaction and maximize the vehicle’s functionality. Advanced features like a collision-warning system, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic door locks, a powered bulkhead, a dedicated software package, and other improvements are included in the European-spec EDV 500.
Using electric vans and e-cargo bikes, Amazon successfully delivered over 45 million packages in Germany the year before. The company hopes to further boost its package delivery capacity while preserving the environment with the launch of the new Rivian EDVs.
In order to electrify its European transportation network and reduce CO2 emissions, the company plans to spend over $1.09 billion (1 billion euros) over the next few years, with Germany accounting for more than $436 million (400 million euros) of the total.
As part of its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 under the Climate Pledge, Amazon made a significant order in September 2019. The order consisted of 100,000 Rivian EDVs, with the requirement that the entire fleet be delivered by 2030. This demonstrates Amazon’s dedication to sustainability and the transition towards a more eco-friendly delivery system
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Source: Amazon Germany