• The Seattle Times reports that Amazon has begun making deliveries in the San Francisco Bay Area using electric vans.
"Amazon teamed up with Michigan-based Rivian, a U.S. automaker, to design, build, and deploy the fleet of electric vehicles," the story says. "The vehicles are the first custom-tailored vans that Amazon is using.
"The company unveiled its electric vans in October 2020. Then in February, the company initiated a delivery service using the custom-tailored electric vans in the Los Angeles area.
"The van is a first-of-its-kind all-electric delivery vehicle that can drive up to 150 miles on a single charge."
This development comes as National Public Radio reports that "all major delivery companies are starting to replace their gas-powered fleets with electric or low-emission vehicles, a switch that companies say will boost their bottom lines, while also fighting climate change and urban pollution.
"UPS has placed an order for 10,000 electric delivery vehicles. Amazon is buying 100,000 from the start-up Rivian. DHL says zero-emission vehicles make up a fifth of its fleet, with more to come.
"And FedEx just pledged to replace 100% of its pickup and delivery fleet with battery-powered vehicles by 2040."
