Amazon launches electric HGV fleet in UK, a first for Europe ops

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 24, 2022

As concerns around the emissions from the large number of small and large delivery vehicles continue to grow, Amazon has launched five all-electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) for the first time in the UK.

The 37-tonne DAF vehicles are operating from its Tilbury and Milton Keynes fulfilment centres to carry customer packages. The company is also installing fast-charging points at those depots.

There are five vehicles at present and they’re replacing HGVs that ran on diesel fuel and clocked up 100,000 road miles annually. The electricity fuelling the new vehicles is fully renewable and it's claimed that they’ll prevent 170 tonnes of CO2e from being emitted. 

By the end of the year, the company will have nine electric HGVs in the UK, along with the 1,000+ electric delivery vans that are currently in operation for the business.

The move marks the first use of electric HGVs for the American company within Europe and is part of its aim of delivering 50% of shipments with net-zero carbon by 2030.

HGVs account for around 16% of domestic transport emissions in the UK and Tesco also started using the DAF vehicles in Britain a few months ago.