Amazon.com Inc is buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz for its European delivery fleet. In announcing the order on Friday, Mercedes said it would also join a climate initiative established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. By signing up to The Climate Pledge, Mercedes-Benz commits itself to going completely carbon neutral by 2039.
Reports suggest that majority of Mercedes-Benz’s electric vans will go into service this year.
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The order placed by the e-commerce giant is the largest for the carmaker’s electric vehicles to the date.
According to the scientists, man-made emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide must end by 2050 at the latest to avoid pushing global temperatures beyond the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) set out in the Paris climate accord.
Among the transport sector, deliveries from online retailers like Amazon is considered as a major source of carbon emissions.
“We need continued innovation and partnership from auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to decarbonize the transportation sector and tackle the climate crisis,” Bezos said in a statement.
Referring to his own company’s efforts to cut emissions, Bezos said, “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.”
While the e-van order with Mercedes is Amazon’s biggest in Europe, it is dwarfed by a contract it signed last year with US start-up, Rivian Automotive LLC, to deliver 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030.
Daimler said the order comprises more than 1,200 large eSprinter vans and about 600 medium-sized eVito vehicles. Delivery will begin later this year.
Other than Amazon, other delivery companies too are pushing for more electric fleets. Earlier this year, United Parcel Service had said it was ordering 10,000 delivery trucks from UK-based company.
