Amazon customers in Glasgow will receive packages delivered by electric cargo bike as Amazon extends its fleet into Scotland for the first time.
The new Glasgow delivery hub, located in Baillieston in the east of the city, is part of Amazon’s £300 million investment in the electrification and decarbonisation of our UK transportation network.
Amazon will make around 2.5 million deliveries in the UK every year via sustainable methods of transport such as electric cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries.
The new Glasgow fleet is expected to deliver hundreds of thousands of packages across Scotland’s most-populous city next year, helping to take traditional vans off the city’s roads, alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality.
Amazon’s electric cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries are now operational from hubs in more than 20 cities across the UK and Europe, with UK hubs launched in London and Manchester last year.
“With more than £300 million committed to electrifying and decarbonising our transportation network over the coming years, we remain laser focused on reaching net zero carbon by 2040.”
“With more than £300 million committed to electrifying and decarbonising our transportation network over the coming years, we remain laser focused on reaching net zero carbon by 2040,” said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “The new hub in Glasgow will not only bring our Scottish customers more electric-powered deliveries, but also support the local authority in looking for ways to reduce congestion and find alternative transportation methods. We look forward to expanding our e-cargo bike fleet further in the months ahead.”
Scottish Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop MSP said: “I welcome moves by major businesses to develop micromobility delivery hubs. It’s great news for our cities – for example by choosing e-cargo bikes over vans, businesses can not only reduce carbon emissions but also help remove congestion and improve air quality. It’s a smart decision for any organisation, reducing running costs and providing couriers with a healthier and happier way to make deliveries every day.
“I hope that many more organisations consider the benefits of active travel to deliver goods and services. Record Scottish Government investment is transforming active travel infrastructure across the country. Companies that take advantage of this opportunity have much to gain by offering customers faster and more reliable deliveries around our largest cities.”
More than 1,000 electric delivery vans are already in Amazon’s operation on UK roads, in addition to nine fully electric Heavy Goods Vehicles, the first in Amazon’s fleet, which have replaced traditional diesel trucks. Earlier this year, Amazon announced that more than 300 custom electric vans from Rivian would be joining its delivery fleet in Germany. Around the world, we aim to have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, helping to save millions of metric tons of carbon per year.
“It’s great news for our cities – by choosing e-cargo bikes over vans, businesses can not only reduce carbon emissions but also help remove congestion and improve air quality.”
As the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally and in the UK, in 2022, 90% of electricity consumed by Amazon globally was powered by renewable energy sources, thanks to more than 400 wind and solar projects around the world.
Scotland is home to many of Amazon’s UK renewable energy projects, with windfarms at Beinn an Tuirc in Campbeltown, Argyll, and Kennoxhead (two phases) near Redshaw, South Lanarkshire. In 2021, the first renewable energy project enabled by Amazon UK on the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland became operational and started delivering clean energy. Amazon is purchasing 100% of the power output from this 50 MW wind farm, which is expected to deliver 168,000 MWh of clean energy annually – enough energy to power 46,000 UK homes.
In 2022, Amazon announced its largest renewable energy commitment in the UK to date – the Moray West Wind Farm – with 350 MW installed capacity. It is expected to inject up to £500 million into the local economy throughout its lifespan, and during construction will create and support more than 1,000 jobs, with 70 long term operational roles. The project also supports a number of local education and training goals, including transitioning of skilled workforce from the oil and gas sector, an apprentice programme, PhD sponsorships focused on environmental matters, and an intern programme.
Amazon is the co-founder of and the first signatory to The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040. With more than 400 signatories, including more than 100 from the UK alone, the Pledge signatories are working together on initiatives to preserve the natural world and invest in decarbonising technologies.
Find out more about Amazon’s commitment to sustainability.
