Amazon is turbocharging plans to reach net-zero with a €1 billion investment in Europe, according to a Reuters report. The money will be invested over the next five years in electric vans, trucks, and low-emission package hubs around the continent. As a knock-on benefit of moving to electric vans, Amazon hopes it’ll encourage the adoption of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Last year, the company had 3,000 electric vans in Europe responsible for the delivery of more than 100 million packages. In three years, it hopes to have more than 10,000 electric vans delivering orders. These vans focus on last-mile delivery, but the company also wants 1,500 electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) for the transportation of packages between its hubs within the next several years.
Presumably, the electric vehicles that will be used in Europe will be the same as those in the United States, which are built by Rivian. The company started rolling these vans out in several large U.S. cities during the summer to help it reach its net-zero pledge by 2040. It said that it hopes to have a huge 100,000 EVs operating in the U.S. by 2030.
The introduction of these vans should smooth operations in Europe for the company. Many cities, including London and Birmingham, are introducing low-emission zones where only vehicles that meet certain standards can enter.