Amazon ditches diesel with the UK launch of five new electric heavy delivery trucks
Amazon has launched its first fleet of 37-tonne fully-electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), in a bid to ‘deliver’ on its 2040 net-zero target.
Ditching diesel, the five new trucks are set to travel 100,000 miles a year powered by renewable electricity, meaning 170 tonnes of CO2 emissions are removed.
The fleet will be charged at Amazon’s Tilbury and Milton Keynes’ 360kW sites, and are the first of nine such HGVs expected by 2022, in addition to 1,000 vans on the road with the company already.
The tech firm and retail giant’s move was praised by investment minister Lord Grimstone, who called it “further proof that the UK’s logistics sector continues to be at the forefront of efforts to electrify fleets and transition to zero emissions vehicles”.
He said would of benefit “not only for their customers but for our wider efforts” to battle climate change and use cleaner energy.
Parliamentary under secretary of state for transport , Trudy Harrison MP, praised Amazon for “playing its part” in Britain’s bid to “clean up our air, boost green jobs and decarbonise our vital transport network.” It is “leading the way by going green.”
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said the firm is “committed to becoming net-zero carbon by 2040, and this is a milestone as we continue to decarbonise our transportation network so we can deliver more customer orders using zero emissions vehicles.”