Amazon has officially announced the rollout of its electric delivery vehicles. The cars will be provided by manufacturer Rivian. 

The vehicles will first roll out in cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis, and will land in 100 cities by the end of 2022. The company plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, which Amazon says will “save millions of metric tons of carbon per year.”

“Fighting the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment. Rivian has been an excellent partner in that mission, and we’re excited to see our first custom electric delivery vehicles on the road,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in the announcement. 

“Today marks a significant milestone in our Climate Pledge commitment. Rivian was one of the first companies Amazon invested in through the Climate Pledge Fund, and we’re just getting started on our journey to have 100,000 of Rivian’s vehicles on the road by 2030. And, in addition to being sustainable, these new vehicles are also great for drivers—they were designed with driver input and feedback along the way, and they’re among the safest and most comfortable delivery vehicles on the road today,” Jassy added.

As reported by CNBC, Amazon announced a deal with Rivian for 100,000 vehicles in 2019. The vehicles were demonstrated in late 2020, with the first ones tested out in 2021. Amazon is also a backer of Rivian through its Climate Pledge Fund. The vehicles are manufactured domestically at a plant in Illinois. 

“Today represents an important step, not just for Amazon and Rivian as partners, but also for transportation and the environment,” RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian, said in Amazon’s announcement. “In 2019, Rivian and Amazon committed to fast-tracking a new type of delivery vehicle that would result in a significant reduction of carbon emissions. Thanks to our teams’ dedication, hard work and collaboration, and a shared commitment to make the world a better place for our kids’ kids, that vision is now being realized. To say this is an exciting moment is an understatement—we’re thrilled to see this partnership has kickstarted decarbonization projects across the logistics delivery industry,” Scaringe continued

Per a report last year by the Information, Amazon’s delivery drivers alleged that the batteries of the vans drained quickly. Later, there was a lawsuit against a supplier of seats for the cars. 

According to the announcement, Amazon has “added thousands of charging stations at its delivery stations across the country,” making things easier for the driver network.

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters