According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, trucks and other commercial vehicles cause around 36% of traffic emissions in Germany. The online retail giant Amazon, which is not universally popular, plans to put 20 fully electric trucks into operation by the end of the year, in addition to the 1,200 electric delivery vehicles already in use in Germany.
The Volvo trucks will transport products between the hubs in Dortmund and Düsseldorf. Thanks to the latest battery technology, the electric vehicles can be connected to 360kW fast-charging stations, which fully charge the 40-ton trucks in less than two hours. "The major players in the transport sector play a crucial role in the industry's efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. That's why I'm delighted that Amazon is joining us in embracing electric drive in the heavy-duty transport sector," says Jessica Sandström, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Volvo Trucks.
Amazon aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. In 2021, the share was already at 85%. Two solar projects have just been connected to the roofs of its newest logistics centers in Hof-Gattendorf (Bavaria) and Kaiserslautern (Rhineland-Palatinate). The systems have a total capacity of 7.7 megawatts (MW) and are Amazon's third and fourth largest on-site solar installations in Europe to date.
