amazon orders 100,000 electric trucks in bid to fight climate change

amazon has ordered 100,000 electric trucks from american startup rivian. the order supports the retailer’s pledge to reach zero net carbon emissions by 2040.

as the pictures show, rivian is customizing the exterior of the van for amazon. the interior design, suspension and software will also be custom-designed to make the fleet of vans fit for purpose. there is no information regarding the charging infrastructure at present but rivian does say it will provide service and maintenance for the vehicles.

images courtesy of amazon

rivian is a michigan-based automaker known largely for its electric pick-up trucks that many have touted as a potential rival to tesla. it has raised $1.7 billion including major stakes from ford and cox automotive, and a $700 million investment from amazon. it unveiled its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV last november.

‘we’re done being in the middle of the herd on this issue—we’ve decided to use our size and scale to make a difference,’ said jeff bezos, amazon founder and CEO. ‘if a company with as much physical infrastructure as amazon—which delivers more than 10 billion items a year—can meet the paris agreement 10 years early, then any company can.’

in a bid to fight climate change, bezois has launched the climate pledge, calling on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040. other companies are also invited to sign on to the commitment.

‘I’ve been talking with other CEOs of global companies, and I’m finding a lot of interest in joining the pledge,’ he adds. ‘large companies signing the climate pledge will send an important signal to the market that it’s time to invest in the products and services the signatories will need to meet their commitments.’

amazon aims to have 10,000 vehicles on the road by 2022 and all 100,000 vehicles on the road by 2030. it also announced an investment of $100 million in reforestation projects around the world to begin removing carbon from the atmosphere.