Amazon.com said on Monday it will invest more than 1 billion euros ($974.8 million) over the next five years in low-emission electric vans, trucks and parcel centers across Europe, accelerating its net carbon drive.
The retailer said the investment was also aimed at spurring innovation in the transportation industry and encouraging more public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs).
The US online retailer said the investment will help its European electric truck fleet more than triple, from 3,000 vehicles to more than 10,000 by 2025.
The company did not say what percentage of its European last-mile delivery fleet runs on electricity today, but said those 3,000 zero-emission trucks delivered more than 100 million packages in 2021.
Amazon said it also expects to buy more than 1,500 heavy-duty electric vans, used for "average mileage" shipments to fill hubs, in the next few years.
Although several large logistics firms, including package delivery companies United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp, have committed to buying large numbers of zero-emission electric trucks and vans, there aren't many available for purchase.
Several startups are racing to bring electric vans or trucks to market and face increasing competition from legacy manufacturers like General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co.
Amazon's largest electric truck order is for 100,000 vehicles from Rivian Automotive Inc through 2025.
The company said that, along with electric vehicles, it would invest in thousands of chargers at facilities across Europe.
The retailer said it would also invest in doubling its European network of "micromobility" centers from more than 20 cities today.
Amazon has used those centrally located hubs to push new delivery methods, including electric cargo bikes or foot deliveries to reduce emissions.
The company plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. ($1 = €1.0259)
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