A year after announcing the purchase of 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles as part of The Climate Pledge, Amazon has begun testing new vans on delivery routes in and around Tulsa, Okla.
Designed and built in partnership with Rivian, Amazon’s first custom electric delivery vehicle was unveiled in October last year. The van is a first-of-its-kind all-electric delivery vehicle which can drive up to 150 miles on a single charge and is optimized for safety and an enhanced driver experience.
This launch quickly follows the initial rollout of these vehicles in Los Angeles last month, and recently San Francisco, making this the third location where Amazon has put its custom electric delivery vehicles on the road. Amazon plans to operate 10,000 of these vehicles as early as next year.
“From what we've seen, this is one of the fastest modern commercial electrification programs, and we’re incredibly proud of that,” said Ross Rachey, director of Amazon's Global Fleet and Products. “We’ve chosen Tulsa’s vast urban districts to be among our first sites for additional testing of the vehicle’s performance, safety, and durability. We’re excited to see the vehicle cruising past the city’s vibrant art displays and for our Tulsa customers to be among the first to see these vehicles.”
Deliveries will initially be conducted from Amazon’s delivery station near Broken Arrow. Amazon currently operates thousands of electric vehicles worldwide, and is re-designing its delivery stations to service electric vehicles, ranging from the electrical design to the physical layout. Last year, Amazon delivered more than 20 million packages to customers in electric delivery vehicles across North America and Europe.
