These German cities are the first to benefit from Amazon’s new e-vans

The vehicles have been custom-made to fit the European road context

Amazon has announced that it plans to go fully electric when it comes to its deliveries in Europe. Specially designed and built Rivian electric vans will roll out on the streets bringing the ordered goods to customers, and the first cities where this will happen are Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf (Germany).

The e-commerce giant already has a fleet of thousands of electric vans operating in Europe, including more than 1,000 e-vans in Germany. The new vehicles, however, have been custom-made following an agreement with the EV maker as a way to make them better fit the European streets.

The delivery vans in Europe are specially designed to be shorter and thinner than their U.S. counterparts. The Rivian e-vans were already put to use by the retailer last summer in the USA.

As for Europe, the aim is to electrify the entire Amazon fleet there, too, starting with Germany as a springboard. This is also part of the giant online retailer’s ambitions

To get to net-zero status by 2040

And it can’t happen without a fleet overhaul. The vans were thought out with the driver’s comfort in mind, as well. The vans have a large windshield to give greater visibility and standard advanced driver assistance systems that feature automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and collision warnings.

They are also embedded with technology that can integrate the delivery workflow with the vehicle, including routing, navigation and driver support. The driver’s cabin and cargo area are ergonomically designed for comfort, and the driver’s side door has been strengthened to provide additional protection.

In 2022, Amazon used zero-emission vehicles, including electric vans and micro-mobility solutions like e-cargo bikes, e-scooters, and walkers, to deliver more than 120 million packages to customers in Europe.