Amazon will invest over €1bn over the next five years in zero emission vehicles for its European operations to meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2040.

The online retail giant said that it has more than 3,000 electric vans delivering parcels to customers across Europe and this will expand to more than 10,000 by 2025 as a result of the increased investment.

In addition, the company is expanding its number of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) for long distance transportation. Amazon expects to purchase and roll out more than 1,500 eHGVs in its European fleet, including more than 700 in the UK. It currently operates five in Europe and aims to have 20 eHGVs on the road in Germany by the end of this year.

Amazon will also invest in charging points for the new electric vehicles and is expanding its micromobility hubs in over 20 European cities including London. These are smaller delivery stations in denser cities which use sustainable deliver methods such as e-bikes.

Commenting on the news Andy Jassy, chief executive of Amazon, said: “Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas of our business to decarbonise, and to achieve net-zero carbon will require a substantial and sustained investment.”

He added: “Deploying thousands of electric vans, long-haul trucks, and bikes will help us shift further away from traditional fossil fuels—and hopefully, further encourage transportation and automotive industries in Europe and around the world to continue scaling and innovating, as we will have to work together to reach our climate goals.”

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