Mercedes-Benz has secured the largest order of electric vehicles to date as Amazon announced it would buy more than 1,800 eVito and eSprinter electric vans.
The first units will be delivered to Amazon starting this year to be used across Europe. The order includes around 600 medium-sized eVito and more than 1,200 large eSprinter electric vans.
“The addition of 1,800 electric delivery vehicles is another step in our journey to building the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world, and we will be moving fast to get these vans on the road this year,” said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.
“I am delighted that we are further intensifying our long-standing partnership with Amazon and working together on the battery-electric future of transportation,” added Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “With the eVito and the eSprinter, we have electric vehicles in our portfolio which are ideally suited for the requirements of the courier-, express- and parcel-service industry for goods delivery on the so-called ‘last mile’ in terms of their equipment and range.”
The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter for Amazon are panel vans in high roof design with a GVW of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) and a maximum payload of 891 kg (1,964 lbs). They are equipped with the largest battery available on the eSprinter with a usable capacity of 47 kWh (55 kWh installed), enabling a driving range of 168 km (104 miles).
The battery powers an electric motor delivering 85 kW (114 HP / 116 PS) and 295 Nm (217 lb-ft) to the front wheels. The eSprinter for Amazon is equipped with optional safety features like electrical parking brake, active brake assist, reverse camera, blind spot assist, crosswind assist and Attention Assist. They also feature an integrated quick charging function that ensures the battery can be recharged from 10 percent to 80 percent within approximately 25 minutes.
The smaller Mercedes-Benz eVito panel van features a 35 kWh battery (41 kWh installed) which enables a maximum range of 184 km (114 miles). The eVito shares the 85 kW electric motor with the eSprinter. The 600 eVito vans for Amazon will be mainly used in inner city areas.