Amazon unveils first-ever fully electric HGVs in its UK fleet

Online giant Amazon is launching five electric HGVs in its delivery fleet for the first time in the UK. The 37-tonne fully electric vehicles are now operating from its fulfilment centres in Tilbury and Milton Keynes.

The vehicles replace diesel HGVs, resulting in up to 100,000 annual road miles fuelled with renewable electricity instead of diesel, preventing 170 tonnes of CO2e from being emitted. They are the first of nine electric HGVs expected by the end of 2022, joining more than 1,000 electric delivery vans currently on the road in the UK.

Amazon’s first electric HGVs in the UK and Europe mark an important milestone towards the electrification of its fleet, forming part of Shipment Zero – Amazon’s goal to deliver 50% of shipments with net-zero carbon by 2030. Heavy goods vehicles make up around 16 percent of the UK’s domestic transport emissions. Amazon’s commitment will help play a role in reducing the carbon footprint of the UK transportation sector. Using the latest innovations in battery technology, the electric trucks will soon be using first-of-their-kind fast 360 kW electric charging points at Amazon’s Tilbury and Milton Keynes sites.

“We’re committed to becoming net-zero carbon by 2040, and this is a milestone as we continue to decarbonise our transportation network so we can deliver more customer orders using zero emissions vehicles,” said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager.

“We are excited to bring the DAF CF Electric HGV into Amazon’s fleet and support their commitment towards The Climate Pledge,” added Eelco van Veen, DAF Trucks Director Fleet Sales. “The DAF CF Electric truck represents an important step in the industry towards zero emission middle-mile distribution.”

Amazon continues to focus on reducing carbon emissions in middle-mile transportation. This includes piloting a range of alternative delivery methods in collaboration with local partners, in order to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. In 2020, Amazon ordered battery electric trucks from Lion Electric in the US and began testing hydrogen-powered trucks, while also expanding multi-modal transport to reduce the emissions from road travel. Amazon is also evolving how it delivers packages to customers’ homes, and in 2021, it delivered more than 45 million packages in the UK by more sustainable transportation methods, such as electric vans or cargo bikes. Customers will see more zero emissions vehicles hitting the roads as Amazon continues to expand its fleet.

While Amazon ramps-up its initiatives to use zero emission vehicles, a recent report from Oliver Wyman, commissioned by Amazon, showed that shopping online results in 50% less greenhouse gas emissions than physical retail, and over four times less traffic with customers’ deliveries only representing 0.5 percent of total traffic in urban areas.