Amazon Replaces Trucks With Cargo Bikes And On-Foot Deliveries In London
With the millions of parcels being delivered door-to-door on the regular, it’s strange we hardly ever stop to consider the carbon emissions from delivery services that pollute the atmosphere.
Thankfully, in a bid to reduce its carbon emissions, Amazon, one of the world’s foremost delivery sites, has launched the first fleet of electric cargo bikes and on-foot delivery persons to replace the usual delivery trucks in London, UK.
This ‘micromobility’ hub, together with an additional 1,000 electric vans, is expected to make over five million deliveries annually in 10% of the city’s ultra-low emissions zone.
“Our new e-cargo bikes, walkers, and growing electric vehicle delivery fleet will help us make more zero emission customer deliveries than ever before across London and the UK,” said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon.
According to Euronews, the effort comes as part of the retail giant’s goal to ship half of its packages with net-zero carbon emissions by the end of the decade, and achieve 100% neutrality by 2040.
The company said it plans to set up more of these micromobility hubs in the coming months, together with new fully-electric Heavy Goods Vehicles that will replace traditional diesel trucks on the roads.
Additionally, Amazon will install more than 30,000 modular solar panels on its facilities by the end of the year. It hopes its 18 on-site solar projects, which are set to double by 2024, will propel the firm towards its goal of powering 100% of its operations with renewable energy by 2025.
“Amazon is driving towards a global net-zero carbon future. One way we’re doing that is through the transformation of our transportation networks,” explained Boumphrey.
While it’s unlikely any of us are ready to give up direct delivery anytime soon, hopefully greener initiatives such as this can help reduce the environmental impact of these services without sacrificing convenience.
