Blue Amazon vans have been a regular sight on streets across the nation as the e-commerce retailer has grown, but a distinctive new van from the company has been spotted in the New Hope area.
A New Hope Free Press reader recently submitted photos they took of the new electric-powered delivery van in New Hope Borough.
The reader, who wished to remain unnamed, but described themselves as a “gear head,” said they saw the van on several occasions in New Hope Borough and Solebury Township in May.
Starting last summer, Amazon began rolling out the custom-made electric delivery vans from e-vehicle maker Rivian, with a goal of having 100,000 by 2030, according to the company.
In a recent statement, Amazon said they have 3,000 vans on the road to deliver packages as of the end of May. The company has 500 cities and regions with electric vans in use.
“Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019 and made a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040. As part of that Pledge, Amazon also announced a partnership with Rivian to bring 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030 and got to work on designing a new state-of-the-art delivery vehicle,” Amazon said in a statement.
Car and Driver reported last year that the vans can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge. The vans are designed to last for 10 years or 330,000 miles.
In 2022, Amazon announced they were adding thousands of charging stations to delivery locations and will continue to build out infrastructure for an electric delivery fleet.
The new Rivian vans are reported to have increased safety features to protect the drivers and pedestrians, 360-degree cameras, built-in technology to aid in delivering goods, powered doors and locks, ventilated seats for heating and cooling, a system that can detect if a driver is drowsy, a U-shaped red taillamp, Amazon branding, and a ergonomically-designed cabin and cargo area.
Amazon and Rivian tested the vans in 2021 and made changes before expanding production.
Amazon and Rivian have an exclusivity agreement for the new vans, but CNBC reported in March that the companies were discussing adjusting the agreement.
Correction: This story has been updated to note 500 cities and regions are now being served by electric vans. A previous version said 500 cities and regions will be served by the end of 2023.
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