The electric delivery trucks of Amazon, which the e-commerce giant developed in partnership with Rivian, are now becoming regular sights in various regions of the US. The corporation is now incorporating fifty Class 8 EVs into its haulage fleet in Southern California.
The Volvo VNR Electric trucks by Amazon will transport both cargo containers and customer package loads in Amazon’s first- and middle-mile operations. They have already begun operating at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with around twelve of them projected to be in operation by the year’s end.
Featuring a range of up to 275 miles, the Volvo VNR Electric has a gross combined vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 82,000 pounds. Notable safety features include active collision mitigation, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
As Electrek’s Jo Borrás highlights, Amazon is congratulating itself for deploying the pollution-reducing electric trucks, but essentially, the corporation has limited options due to California’s recent Advanced Clean Fleets legislation, which will soon prohibit the introduction of new internal combustion engine trucks for drayage purposes. (The enforcement of this legislation is currently on pause awaiting a ruling from the EPA, but a resolution is anticipated within a year.)
“We are pleased to introduce our most extensive fleet of electric heavy-duty vehicles in California,” remarked Udit Madan, VP of Global Amazon Operations. “The decarbonization of heavy-duty trucking is especially challenging, which heightens our enthusiasm to have these vehicles operating today. We will leverage the insights gained from deploying these vehicles as we persist in discovering and funding measures to diminish emissions within our transportation network.”
Source: Electrek
