Amazon to Invest Over $1 Billion to Decarbonize Transportation in Europe

Amazon has announced plans to invest more than $1 billion to electrify and decarbonize its transportation network across Europe over the coming years. The initiative includes the company’s largest-ever order for heavy-duty electric trucks, with over 200 new vehicles to be added to its fleet in the region.

This effort aligns with Amazon’s Climate Pledge, a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040. The company has been implementing a series of strategies to decarbonize its transportation operations, focusing on increasing fleet efficiency, adopting low-carbon fuels, and scaling up electric and alternative-fuel vehicles.

Under the new order, Amazon will acquire more than 200 eActros 600 electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, with deliveries starting later this year. The trucks will be deployed on high-mileage routes within Amazon’s middle-mile network in the UK and Germany, transporting trailers between fulfillment centers, sorting centers, and delivery stations. Once fully operational, the zero-emission vehicles are expected to handle over 350 million packages annually.

This order is part of Amazon’s broader European transportation electrification strategy, which includes investments exceeding €1 billion. As of the end of 2024, Amazon operated 38 eHGVs across Europe and 50 in California. The company also has more than 3,000 electric vans delivering packages in Europe, with plans to expand this number to over 10,000 by the end of 2025.

Andreas Marschner, Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Operations Sustainability, stated, “This order of more than 200 electric trucks underlines our commitment to being a leader in electrifying heavy goods transportation in Europe. It is the biggest electric heavy truck order by Amazon to date anywhere in the world, and is an important step as we work to achieve our Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040.”

The Mercedes eActros 600, Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ flagship long-haul electric truck, features a battery capacity exceeding 600 kilowatt hours and a range of 500 kilometers without recharging. To support these vehicles, Amazon will install 360kW charging points at key locations, capable of charging the trucks from 20% to 80% in just over an hour. Developing such charging infrastructure is critical to expanding the deployment of electric heavy goods vehicles on Europe’s roads, particularly for long-haul routes.

In addition to the electric truck initiative, Amazon has started using the UK’s electric rail network for large-scale package transportation and has launched on-foot delivery services in London. These deliveries involve associates using carts that can be restocked by vans stationed throughout the city.

Karin Rådström, Chairwoman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG, commented, “We are very pleased that Amazon, a pioneer in the transformation towards alternative drives, has chosen the eActros 600, a gamechanger for sustainable transportation.”