Amazon e-cargo bikes to replace ‘thousands’ of van journeys across London

Amazon is launching a fleet of e-cargo bikes across and ‘walkers’ across London to reduce the number of van trips made across the capital.

The company’s first UK micromobility hub in Central London will see e-cargo bikes and walkers, as well as Amazon’s electric fleet already on London’s roads, make over five million deliveries a year across more than 10% of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone.

It is said that the new fleet will directly replace thousands of traditional van trips on London’s roads and reduce traffic congestion. Amazon has over 1,000 electric delivery vans on the road in the UK, and last year helped the company deliver more than 45 million packages. Its fleet of zero emission vehicles will expand further as more e-cargo delivery hubs are expected to launch across UK in the coming months. Amazon also recently announced five new fully electric Heavy Goods Vehicles. These 37-tonne vehicles are among the first in the UK, the first in Amazon’s fleet, and replace traditional diesel trucks.

Amazon has also unveiled plans to roll out large scale solar panel installations at facilities based in Manchester, Coalville, Haydock, Bristol and Milton Keynes before the end of this year, to help power those facilities with renewable energy. Amazon will double the number of on-site solar energy projects in the UK by 2024.

These initiatives move the company closer to its Shipment Zero mission – to deliver 50% of Amazon shipments with net-zero carbon by 2030 – and the ultimate goal of being net-zero carbon by 2040, ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, said: “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.”

Trudy Harrison, Transport Minister, said: “Industry and Government are both working hard to achieve our net zero goals and support the growth of sustainable transport that will help create economic opportunities and support thousands of jobs across the UK. Amazon’s plans will not only boost green job opportunities, but ensure that customers will continue to receive their packages while working to protect our planet from climate change.”