Amazon will invest more than 1,000 million in electrifying its European transport network to reduce carbon emissions

MADRID, 10 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Amazon will invest more than €1 billion over the next five years to further electrify and decarbonise its transport network across Europe, delivering packages to customers in a more sustainable way, the US multinational said in a statement.

Specifically, this investment is also intended to drive innovation across the industry, and encourage more public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, which will help the transport industry reduce emissions faster.

The e-commerce giant already uses thousands of zero-emission vehicles in its European operations, including electric vans, electric heavy-duty vehicles and cargo bikes.

In this way, with this investment, the company will incorporate thousands more vehicles, which will boost its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, ten years before the Paris Agreement.

"Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas when it comes to decarbonizing our business. To achieve net zero carbon emissions, substantial and sustained investment will be required," said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. .

Amazon has more than 3,000 electric vans delivering packages to customers across Europe. With this investment, the firm plans to increase its fleet to more than 10,000 vehicles by 2025.

In addition to these new electric vans, the multinational will also invest in setting up recharging points at its European facilities. This investment will allow the company and its partners to improve the fleet's charging hardware.

The company has recalled that long-distance transport is a difficult sector to decarbonize due to the size and weight of trucks and trailers, and the long distances they must travel. Electric heavy-duty vehicles (eHGVs) are a promising technology, but production and availability of charging infrastructure are limited.

As of October 2022, Amazon has five eHGVs on the road in the UK, and plans to have 20 on the road in Germany before the end of the year.

Amazon is using its size and scale to help drive increased eHGV production, helping the platform and other companies make a faster transition to net zero carbon emissions, away from diesel trucks.

Thus, the company plans to acquire and deploy more than 1,500 eHGVs in its European fleet in the coming years. To power its eHGVs, Amazon will build hundreds of specialized fast chargers at its European facilities, allowing vehicles to be charged in about two hours.