Amazon has announced its first custom electric delivery vehicle built in partnership with American automaker Rivian. Developing an in-house electric delivery vehicle is part of Amazon’s plans to make all shipments net-zero carbon by 2040.
Through this partnership, Amazon states it will launch 10,000 custom delivery vans by 2022. In addition, the e-commerce giant has ambitious plans to expand its availability to 100,000 by 2030.
As for the custom electric vans themselves, they are built with safety, navigation, and design features in mind. For starters, Rivian has used sensor detection for highway & traffic assist capabilities. Furthermore, Amazon has integrated its voice assistant, Alexa, for hands-free access to route information and weather updates.
The large windshield of the van ensures that the driver has proper visibility on the road and adjacent vehicles. Speaking of visibility, the electric van also equips 360-degree exterior cameras whose video output can be seen on the central display inside the cabin.
Safety features of the van include a strengthened door on the driver’s side, bright tail lights at the rear so that other vehicles can easily identify when the van applies the brakes and three levels of shelving with a bulkhead door.
“We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here-the future of last-mile delivery. We wanted drivers to love using it and customers to feel excited when they saw it driving through their neighborhood and pulling up to their home,” said Ross Rachey, Director of Amazon’s Global Fleet and Products in an official blog post.
This custom electric vehicle is one of Amazon’s latest initiatives to increase the rate of electric vehicle adoption in its delivery fleet. The company recently also announced its plans to add 1,800 electric vehicles in Europe and 10,000 e-rickshaws in India.
