Energy Efficiency, Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  July 3, 2018

Amazon buys e-vans from Mercedes-Benz

Amazon has purchased a fleet of 100 all-electric vans from Mercedes-Benz for use in Germany. The model chosen was the eVito, a mid-size van with a 41.4 kWh battery pack for a range of approximately 150 km or 93 miles.

A report from Electrek noted this will be Mercedes-Benz’s biggest deployment of its new electric vans following an order for 1,500-all-electric vans for Hermes, a German logisitcs firm

A statement from Mercedes-Benz said, "By the end of the year, Amazon Logistics will have 100 eVitos in its fleet at its Bochum and Düsseldorf locations. Furthermore, Amazon and Mercedes-Benz Vans are working with other partners on a wide-ranging operator concept for the Bochum facility. Alongside the charging infra­structure, this covers parking space management and the automated capture of vehicle status."

The automaker is working closely with customers on adapting the vehicles to their fleets and the required infrastructure in a program called "Customer Co-Creation."  The company explains, "Ultimately, the integration of an intelligent charging infrastructure concept lays the foundation for sustained competitiveness and for conserving resources with a commercial fleet."

Electrek’s report notes that while options for a fleet of delivery vans have been limited, "the segment is about to get a lot more competitive." Following Nissan’s e_NV200all-electricc van and several models from Mercedes-Benz, new market entrants include the eCrafter van from VW, along with models from  U.S. companies such as Workhorse and Chanie.

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