California — In a substantial step toward going carbon-neutral by 2040, and reducing its immense global shipping footprint, Amazon rolled out nearly 50 heavy-duty electric trucks in southern California.
“We’re proud to launch our largest fleet of electric heavy-duty vehicles yet in California,” said Udit Madan, vice president of Worldwide Amazon Operations in a statement. “Heavy-duty trucking is a particularly difficult area to decarbonize, which makes us all the more excited to have these vehicles on the road today. We’ll use what we learn from deploying these vehicles as we continue to identify and invest in solutions to reduce emissions in our transportation network, and to impact sustainability in the trucking industry more broadly.”
The company's first-ever, fully electric trucks will haul cargo containers and customer packages, joining the hundreds of last-mile electric vans already delivering packages across the state. Combined, these trucks are expected to travel more than 1 million miles each year with zero tailpipe emissions, according to the company.
"California continues to lead the way in setting world-leading climate goals. No other state has created the kind of environment where Amazon and other businesses can lead on sustainability and take major steps forward like deploying this fleet of electric trucks,” shared Governor Gavin Newsom. “California’s climate action continues powering our economy and creating jobs.”
Safety First
The battery-electric Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks have a range of up to 275 miles. They're also equipped with safety features including active collision mitigation, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Save the Planet
In addition to bringing more electric vehicles to the road, Amazon is investing in alternative fuels such as green hydrogen and biofuels to reduce carbon emissions in its trucking and maritime operations.
Amazon has invested in companies like the Bill Gates backed startup, Infinium through its Climate Pledge Fund to help support the advancement of sustainable technologies and services.
Merit Street Media
