Just over a year ago, Amazon announced The Climate Pledge intitiative, promising to hit the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years ahead of time. That means the company wants to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, and to do that, Amazon said it would invest heavily in creating a fleet of electric delivery vehicles, including through an investment in Rivian, a newcomer in the EV space, who will provide Amazon with 100,000 vehicles by 2030.
Today, the two companies are revealing the first custom Amazon delivery vehicle to come from the partnership, and it certainly looks like a delivery van. In addition to being an electric vehicle, the van features a number of additional safety features. There"s "state-of-the-art sensor detection", and technology to help drivers handle highways and traffic, as well as cameras providing a 360-degree view of the van"s surroundings in a display inside the cabin. Alexa integration lets drivers get weather and route information hands-free.
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On the more physical side of things, the windshield is bigger to provide better visibility on the road, and the driver"s door is reinforced for extra protection. The cabin has a "dancefloor" to allow for easy movement of the driver, and the storage portion of the van uses three levels of shelving and a bulkhead -style door that can be easily opened and closed. There are also bright tails all around the rear so braking doesn"t go unnoticed to other drivers.
As announced last year, Amazon plans to have 10,000 of these vehicles on the road by 2022, and 100,00 by 2030. The company will also invest in infrastructure to support the new vehicles, such as new charging stations and changes to its delivery stations. The company also recently bought 1,800 electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz for use in Europe.