Amazon reduce transport emissions on three fronts
In a major step towards decarbonising their transport network, Amazon have announced the launch of rail deliveries across the UK, the largest order of electric trucks seen in the UK and on-foot deliveries in central London.
For the first time in the UK, Amazon will be delivering goods by rail at scale, with more than 20 million products sold on the platform expected to travel on the electric rail network this year.
Products will picked from stations close to Amazon delivery and fulfilment centres and transported on the fully electric West Coast Main Line, which runs between Scotland and the Midlands. The company plans to introduce new routes before the end of the year.
Additionally, the company have ordered over 140 new electric Mercedes-Benz Truck eActros 600 trucks and eight Volvo FM Battery Electric trucks, which will join the Amazon transportation network over the next 18 months.
The electric trucks will have a range of 310 miles (500km) and are expected to transport more than 300 million packages a year.
To support the trucks, Amazon will install fast charging infrastructure across their estate, including 360kW electric charging points capable of charging the 40-tonne Mercedes-Benz trucks from 20% to 80% in just over an hour.
In London, Amazon have partnered with the London Boroughs of Hackney, Westminster and Islington, to deliver more parcels on foot, using carts that can be restocked on-the-go from vans dotted around the capital.
More than 70% of London’s Congestion Charge zone is now covered by electric vans, e-cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries operated by Amazon’s partners.
Since 2022, Amazon has made more than 150 million deliveries using electric vans and cargo bikes in the UK. Delivery drivers have driven more than 19 million miles in electric vans and cycled more than 900,000 miles on electric cargo bikes on routes that would have been otherwise driven by vans with traditional fuel.
Nicola Fyfe, EU VP of Amazon Logistics said: ‘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.
The combination of our – and the UK’s – biggest ever 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. This is a win for our customers, the environment and our business.’
In a major step towards decarbonising their transport network, Amazon have announced the launch of rail deliveries across the UK, the largest order of electric trucks seen in the UK and on-foot deliveries in central London.
