Video: Amazon EV delivery starts 2021

Amazon worked with its drivers to design its new electric delivery vans expected to start operations next year, aiming to save millions of tonnes of carbon annually.

While Amazon already has EVs on the road in selected cities, it plans to have 10,000 new Rivian electric vans operating in 2022 and all 10,000 vans by 2030.

Sharing insights into the fleet’s design process, Amazon says the EVs will not only reduce carbon emissions but raise the bar for driver safety and optimise technology and design elements to create a best-in-class driver experience.

A manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Michigan, has delivery driver Natasha Riggins getting a sneak peek of the new EVs.

“We wanted to really work backwards from how the driver uses the vehicle,” Amazon global fleet director Ross Rachey says.

“From the moment they step into the vehicle, to when they’re driving, when they park and look for a package, and how they exit the vehicle. Everything’s been customised for how they use that vehicle.”

Rivian’s design studio showcases scale models of the vehicle’s exterior and interior. Sculptors work on a full-sized clay model of how the vans will look while another scale model called a “package buck” shows how the vehicle feels from the inside—from the armrests to shelving to the large windshield designed to improve visibility.

In another room, Riggins is in the driver’s seat wearing a virtual reality headset.

“We spend a lot of time in these vehicles, and you want to be in something that’s comfortable, safe, and reliable,” Riggins says. “I can’t wait to get my hands on it.”

Riggins is one of dozens of drivers whose feedback influenced the design of Amazon’s new vehicles, which start delivering packages to customers in 2021.

The vans include a suite of advanced safety technology and industry-leading features, including automated emergency braking, front wheel and all-wheel drive options, lane keep assist, pedestrian warning system, traffic sign recognition, an automatic warning system that detects distracted driver behaviour, and adaptive seatbelts and airbags that adjust to the size and weight of the driver.

Through the VR set, Riggins could see the digital instrument cluster and central display screen integrated with Amazon’s logistics management and routing. Built-in mapping technology along with package delivery information eliminates the need for extra handheld devices.

Drivers will also be able to ask ‘Alexa’ for help or use voice commands in the cargo bay when sorting packages.

The design includes durable, resistant materials and an overall vehicle that is lighter and nimbler than traditional delivery vans, making the vehicles quieter and easier to navigate, especially in a tight, urban environment.

Additionally, the vehicle cabin is optimised for quick package access, with a traditional hinged door on the driver side for driver safety, and a sliding passenger door and foldable passenger seat for quick entry and exit. A rear roll-up door will support more efficient package loading.

Temperature-controlled seats, heated steering wheels and armrests are powered by an intelligent occupant cabin thermal controls system designed to reduce energy consumption.