Amazon builds massive EV charger network in just two years to reduce carbon emissions
Amazon is introducing electric vehicles (EVs) and EV chargers to reduce its carbon footprint. In just two years, Amazon has introduced more than 17,000 EV chargers, and
How Amazon built an unrivalled EV charging network in just two years | The Progress Playbook
https://theprogressplaybook.com/2024/04/15/how-amazon-built-a-massive-ev-charging-network-in-just-two-years/
Amazon has announced that it will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions over the next few decades, and is promoting the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) as a solution. At Amazon's warehouse in Maple Valley, Washington, USA, EVs manufactured by Rivian Automotive are used for delivery, and the vehicles are charged using 309 Siemens EV chargers. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways for Amazon to reduce its carbon footprint, as it enables delivery with zero exhaust gases.
In just two years, Amazon has installed more than 17,000 EV chargers in about 120 warehouses across the U.S. The person who is said to have made the biggest contribution to Amazon's EV charger installation is Tom Chempananikal, who oversees the company's delivery vehicle fleet.
While other shipping companies like UPS and FedEx have launched their own EV adoption plans, they have not been very successful in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Amazon, on the other hand, has been moving faster than its competitors to EVs, dropping its pledge to make half of all deliveries carbon-free by 2030 and instead shifting its efforts to broader climate change goals.
'If Amazon can prove it can meet its climate goals while also meeting its package delivery goals, then they can show that this is actually working,' said Keren Schefter, director of transportation at
Amazon has announced that its carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 will reach approximately 71 million tons, an increase of about 40% from 2019. Most of Amazon's carbon dioxide emissions come from activities for which there are no clear carbon-free alternatives, such as air freight transportation, maritime transportation, construction, and electronics manufacturing. While Amazon has not made progress in decarbonizing long-distance truck transportation, it is working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by using EVs for product delivery in urban areas, etc.
As part of this effort, Amazon is making a huge investment in Rivian Automotive, ordering 100,000 EVs. At the time of writing, 13,500 Rivian EVs are already being used for deliveries, suggesting that Amazon can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of last-mile delivery.
Power companies have mainly supplied power to charging facilities for home EVs, so it was a new attempt for them to power Amazon's EV charger network. According to government estimates of electricity usage, a 100,000-square-foot (about 9,300 square meters) warehouse in an industrial area is supplied with about 50 kilowatts of power, mainly for lighting and air circulation. In contrast, Amazon's warehouse will have 100 EV chargers installed in the parking lot, so the amount of electricity required will increase by 10 to 20 times.
If the local power grid has room to spare, it will be possible to supply power relatively quickly, but if not, it is expected that it will take several years to upgrade the power grid. So, in 2020, Amazon began investigating with major domestic power companies 'how much power will be needed at each warehouse.' Diana Sharp of Commonwealth Edison, the largest power company in Illinois, who was involved in this investigation, said, 'We had a hard time securing some types of new equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we decided to take the option of reusing old transformers for Amazon. We did some pretty creative things internally to make sure we got what Amazon needed and could meet the schedule they wanted.' At the time of writing, Commonwealth Edison is said to be supplying power for EV chargers at four Amazon warehouses in the Chicago metropolitan area.
The cost of the electric vehicle chargers Amazon is installing at its warehouses is estimated at $50 million to $90 million, but digging up parking lots to run wires and installing electrical panels and cabinets could cost twice that amount, but Amazon has not disclosed how much it has spent on EV equipment.
As Amazon's EV adoption progresses, it is expected that the operating costs of delivery vehicles will become cheaper than those of traditional fossil fuel vehicles. Amazon has not disclosed details about the operating costs of EVs, but Amazon's Chenpananikaru said, 'Operating costs continue to decrease. As EV usage increases, demand and supply will increase, efficiency will improve, and we will continue to get better.'
What is Amazon's next-generation electric delivery vehicle in the US? - GIGAZINE
Amazon's drivers seem to like Rivian Automotive EVs. However, an anonymous delivery service provider pointed out some problems, saying, 'There are very few auto factories authorized to repair Rivian Automotive EVs, so body repairs are two to three times more expensive than before, and spare parts are difficult to obtain.'
Related Posts:
in Note, Posted by logu_ii