Mercedes-Benz Delivers 1,800 EVs to Amazon’s European Fleet, Joins The Climate Pledge

Amazon is adding more than 1,800 electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Vans to its delivery fleet in Europe this year, as part of a shared effort to reduce emissions from the transportation sector.

Mercedes-Benz also announced it 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, according to the automaker.

“We welcome the bold leadership demonstrated by Mercedes-Benz by signing up to The Climate Pledge and committing to ambitious action to address climate change. We need continued innovation and partnership from auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz to decarbonize the transportation sector and tackle the climate crisis,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Amazon is adding 1,800 electric delivery vehicles from Mercedes-Benz as part of our journey to build the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world, and we will be moving fast to get these vans on the road this year.”

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.

“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,” said 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 – ten 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.”

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 electric vehicles. With its goal to have a CO2-neutral fleet of new cars in less than 20 years, 

By the end of this year, Mercedes-Benz’s vehicle portfolio will comprise five fully electric models and more than 20 plug-in hybrids. Signatories to The Climate Pledge also have the opportunity to share access to technologies, best practices and innovations in supply chain enhancements. They are also able to co-invest in new technologies and emerging solutions.

More than 1,200 EVs ordered by Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners will be comprised of the newest electric commercial van available at Mercedes-Benz – the eSprinter. The eSprinter includes state-of-the-art safety features including, electrical 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.

"I am delighted that we are further intensifying our long-standing partnership with Amazon and working together on the battery-electric future of transportation," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “With the eVito and the eSprinter, we have electric vehicles in our portfolio, which are ideally suited for the requirements of the courier-, express- and parcel-service industry for goods delivery on the so-called ‘last mile’ in terms of their equipment and range. They show that local emission-free driving, convincing performance, comfort and low operating costs can be combined perfectly.”

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 our carbon footprint globally and has committed to run on 100% renewable energy by 2025.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet