Amazon has made a slice of battery electric heavy vehicle history by making its largest ever order of electric heavy goods vehicles with Daimler for its UK and European operations.
The announcement of the purchase of over 200 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks has come as part of the global company’s efforts to decarbonise its supply chain, which also recently included the launch of rail and on-foot deliveries in the United Kingdom.
Over 140 of the trucks will be deployed in the UK, with 50 to operate in Germany. They are expected to transport over 350 million packages across high-mileage routes of Amazon’s middle mileage network between Amazon fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations.
To support the expanded fleet, Amazon will install additional fast-charging sites across key UK sites. The trucks will have a range of 500 kilometres on full charge.
The historic order has come after periods of Amazon testing the eActros 600 in both its UK and German operations.
“Amazon is an important customer for us on the path towards CO2-neutral transport,” Head of Marketing, Sales and Services of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Stina Fagerman says.
“A near-series prototype of the eActros 600 has already been trialled by Amazon, providing valuable insights before the start of series production.
“We are therefore very pleased about this major order for the eActros 600.”
EU VP of Amazon Logistics Nicola Fyfe says the order of the new trucks is an important part of the company’s multi-faceted approach to reducing its carbon emissions in key, high-traffic regions.
“The combination of our – and the UK’s – biggest order of eHGVs, the UK’s electric rail network now being used to transport customer packages, and the launch of restocking on the move on-foot deliveries, all alongside our partners’ fleet of electric vans and e-cargo bikes, will help us move more customer orders across our fulfilment network with zero exhaust emissions,” Fyfe says.
“Decarbonising our transport network is key in helping us achieve our goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040 and today’s announcement is an exciting and major step forward for us in this mission.”
Read more ATN:
“Fatigue basics – Just a warning!”
“Paralysing” Qube strike stopped
Mack Trucks celebrating 125 years