THE CLIMATE PLEDGE 3/4
AMAZON’S GREEN MISSION
Smarter shipping starts with smart packaging decisions. Amazon’s ML algorithms think flexibly to enable custom, right-size packages to fit individual items and optimize that for the infinite number of combinations for millions of products. No more bottles of vitamins rattling around inside a box that can hold a dozen.
It translates to fewer delivery vehicles on the road, essentially saving the air by shipping less air.
Still, that’s 110,000 gas vehicles out there, with countless others doing contracted last-mile deliveries.
In 2019, Amazon signed The Climate Pledge and committed to decarbonizing its delivery fleet. That meant electric vans, but it was “underwhelmed” by what was available or could be produced at scale. So, it invested in Rivian by ordering 100,000 custom-designed vehicles.
At the time, Jeff Bezos announced they would all be on the roads by 2024. Supply chain and other pandemic impacts pushed that ambitious target out to 2030. Still, it is in line with goals to beat global Paris Agreement targets by a decade.
Every little bit, as fast as we can get it, will help. In this case, we’re talking about the elimination of millions of metric tons of carbon per year.
In October, Amazon announced that the rollout that began in summer 2022 had reached 10,000 Rivian vans, on the job in cities across the U.S.
More than 300 were slated for Germany, as part of a fleet of thousands across Europe.
To date, Rivian vans have delivered more than 260 million packages to customers in the US alone.
If you’re hoping for a glimpse of one of the already iconic EVs, you should also keep your eyes peeled for any of the 15 other vehicle types being road-tested in the US, EU, and India. I kid you not about e-cargo bikes and e-rickshaws.
Amazon’s vehicle pickiness is about efficiency and safety, with $200 million spent this year on safety technology across its transportation network.
Not to be overlooked is the incentive electric vans are to retain and attract new drivers.
Thoughtful design allows for driver comfort, safety, and easier package organization. It eliminates the stressful start to their day; loading dozens of packages in as little as 15 allotted minutes. And while Rivians have up to double the cargo space of Amazon’s standard vans, they are small enough to not require a special license.
Driver-aimed cameras, automatic braking, and a steering wheel that shakes when the vehicle gets too close to something are bold safety moves. Cameras all around, integrated software that finds addresses, as well as parking and restrooms, and automatically zooms in as the destination nears are just as impactful. Routing and cargo-handling efficiencies mean drivers don’t have to resort to risky behavior to get their routes done. The number of accidents has already been halved.
Fewer miles logged equals fewer climate impacts because even EVs are not carbon neutral. But it’s a start.
Here’s what to watch for:
Amazon states its massive energy project investments put it on track to source 100% renewables by 2025, five years ahead of target.
