Electric Mercedes Amazon fan
Source: Amazon.com
Amazon.com Inc. buys 1,800 Mercedes-Benz electric vans from Daimler AG, the retailer’s biggest commitment to date to cut the carbon footprint of its European delivery business.
The agreement, for German automaker eSprinter and eVito models, will be finalized by the end of the year, Amazon said in a statement on Friday. It comes two years after Amazon agreed to buy 20,000 Mercedes Sprinter drivers conventionally urged to build their US parcel delivery operations
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Amazon, which increasingly delivers with its own staff as contractors instead of relying on large carriers, announced last year a deal to buy 100,000 custom electric vans manufactured by Rivian Automotive Inc. its delivery fleet.
Electric cars are an important piece of Amazon’s bid to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2040, an ambitious goal for a company that historically had lagged behind its retailers and technology peers on the environment. As part of that initiative, Amazon Chief Officer Jeff Bezos announced the Climate Pledge in September, an open invitation for other companies to adjust Amazon’s commitment and track and report their own emissions.
As part of Friday’s announcement, Mercedes became the fourth signatory to the pledge, adding three first signers from earlier this year.
It is unclear whether Mercedes, which previously announced plans to make its passenger fleet carbon neutral 2039, has agreed to new environmental commitments as part of its participation in Amazon’s climate pact. Daimler has been reporting its carbon emissions to the public and global tracking organizations since at least 2010, according to CDP data, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project. Amazon first announced its carbon footprint last year, but did not submit data to CDP’s closely tracked public tracker.
An Amazon spokesman said the Climate Pledge commitment was made by Mercedes’ subsidiary, not Daimler as a whole, which also has brands such as American truck manufacturers Freightliner and Western Star. A Daimler spokesman said that by signing the Climate Pledge unit, the company is strengthening its commitment and is “excited to be part of a community that shares knowledge, ideas and best practices.”
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