Amazon says it is adding more than 1,800 electric vehicles (EVs) from Mercedes-Benz Vans to its delivery fleet in Europe this year. Mercedes-Benz also has joined The Climate Pledge, which calls on signatories to be net-zero carbon across their businesses by 2040 – a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement goal of 2050.
“At Mercedes-Benz, we have set ourselves the ambitious target to make the transformation of mobility a success story. By joining The Climate Pledge, we are building on our goal to consistently pursue emission-free mobility and sustainable vehicle production,” says Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.
“We stand with Amazon, Global Optimism and the other signatories of The Climate Pledge, in a commitment to being net-zero carbon by 2040 – 10 years ahead of The Paris Agreement. I am pleased that we will be able to gain even more momentum on our sustainability offensive with this step,” Källenius adds.
As part of Mercedes-Benz’s commitment as the latest signatory of The Climate Pledge, the company is doubling down on its commitment to “Ambition2039,” a roadmap to CO2-neutral mobility. The company is evaluating ways to remove carbon from its entire value chain, from development to the supplier network, from its own production to the electrification of products and beyond, as well as to ensuring renewable energies for the use phase of EVs.
Amazon’s delivery service partners will have access to the new fleet of zero-emission vehicles to make deliveries to customers in Europe this year. The order is a milestone for Mercedes-Benz Vans, marking the largest order of EVs for the manufacturer to date – and makes Amazon its largest sustainable transportation partner worldwide.
More than 1,200 EVs in the order will be comprised of the newest electric commercial van available at Mercedes-Benz – the eSprinter – a larger model than the manufacturer’s first zero-emission vehicle, the eVito. The eSprinter includes safety features including an electric parking brake, active brake assist, reverse camera, blind spot assist and more. The remaining 600 vehicles will be comprised of the manufacturer’s midsize electric van, the eVito, to give delivery service partners operating in geographies that require a smaller-format vehicle access to a zero-emissions delivery option.
Amazon is also committed to powering its growing electric fleet with clean energy. As part of The Climate Pledge, Amazon is investing in renewable energy as a critical step toward addressing its carbon footprint globally and has committed to run on 100% renewable energy by 2025. Globally, Amazon has 91 renewable energy projects that have the capacity to generate over 2,900 MW and deliver more than 7.5 million MWh of energy annually. These projects include 31 utility-scale wind and solar renewable energy projects and 60 solar rooftops on fulfillment centers and sort centers around the globe.