Amazon has announced that it’s starting to roll out its new electric vans, sourced by Rivian, in U.S. cities. Places where people might see the vans include Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, and more. It’s all part of Amazon’s ‘The Climate Pledge’ to be net-zero by 2040.
Commenting on the deployment of the new vehicles, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said:
“Fighting the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment. Rivian has been an excellent partner in that mission, and we’re excited to see our first custom electric delivery vehicles on the road. … [I]n addition to being sustainable, these new vehicles are also great for drivers—they were designed with driver input and feedback along the way, and they’re among the safest and most comfortable delivery vehicles on the road today.”
The e-commerce giant said that this is just the beginning of its journey as it switches over to electric delivery vans. By the end of the year, it hopes to expand the use of these electric vehicles to more than 100 cities. By 2030, it hopes to have 100,000 of these vans operating in the U.S.
As these are electric vehicles, they will need to be charged up. Luckily, they won’t block up charging ports that electric car drivers rely on, instead, Amazon has added thousands of charging stations at its delivery stations around the country. This will ensure its fleet of vans always has enough charge to deliver items to your door without disruptions.