Eco-Friendly Amazon Package Delivery, Bike And Walk

Amazon sends parcels by cargo bike. (photo: doc. amazon)

JAKARTA - Amazon has launched its first "micro-mobility hub" in the UK with the aim of swapping "thousands" of polluting delivery trucks for electric cargo bikes. In some cases, even on foot.

The project is intended to help Amazon achieve its climate goal of making 50 percent of its shipments carbon neutral by 2030.

Starting in the Hackney area of London, the company says it will ship 1 million packages a year using bicycles, walking and electric cargo, in addition to deliveries made by electric vans. "Delivery workers on foot and e-bikes will help replace the "thousands" of traditional van rides," a source at Amazon said, as quoted by The Verge.

This carbon-neutral journey will take place within a tenth of London's ultra-low emission zone, where vehicles are charged based on the amount of emissions they produce. Meanwhile, E-bikes and electric vehicles are free of charge.

Amazon said it plans to open additional hubs in the coming months. The company also operates 1,000 electric delivery vans in the UK, and has plans to introduce a new line of Rivian-made vans in the US later this year. But this project also depends on Rivian's ability to fulfill the order.

Electric cargo bikes, especially those designed to look like mini trucks, are gaining popularity among delivery companies looking to increase their environmental credibility.

FedEx has also used e-bikes in London for emissions free, while Domino's partnered with Rad Power Bikes to deliver pizza in several cities. UPS also uses used cargo bikes in Seattle.

German delivery company DPD wants to use a mini truck that is actually an e-bike in disguise. In New York City, e-bikes are almost exclusively used by food delivery workers today.

Amazon hasn't released any details about what it calls "electronic-assisted vehicles," even though they look a lot different than most of the traditional cargo bikes out there.

If anything, the vehicle looks like the mini-truck first proposed by DPD, designed by a startup called Eav, or the four-wheel "eQuad" delivery vehicle used by UPS.

If Amazon sticks with it and does live up to its promises, then the company's micromobility efforts in the UK could be a first.