Parcel Services Fuel Eco-friendly Innovation

Electric vehicles are so expensive, not least because they are produced in comparatively small quantities. As the shipping giant Amazon announced in February 2020, it is directly addressing the problem and will have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles built for itself by 2030. They are produced by the electric car manufacturer Rivian. The specially developed electric vehicles are part of Amazon’s sustainability strategy. Their stated goal is to work completely CO²-neutral by 2040 at the latest. Further measures of this strategy: By 2025, the company’s electricity needs are to be met entirely from renewable energies (mainly solar and wind turbines). In addition, Amazon has been investing in companies developing environmentally friendly products or technologies since last week through a two-billion-dollar fund, according to an entry on the company blog.

The introduction of own vehicles is not always successful as is shown by the end of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s electric street scooter earlier this year, which was reported by german newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Since none of the German car manufacturers agreed to a long-term cooperation, only the vehicles already ordered will be produce, a total of about 15,000 units, according to Newsblog Automobil Industrie. However, it is expected that the remaining fleet – more than 90,000 vehicles – are going to be electric vans from an established car manufacturer. The Post’s environmental goals are not quite as ambitious as Amazon’s: The company says it wants to become a CO² neutral by 2050. Like Amazon, The Post relies on the use of renewable energies in addition to electric vehicles and environmental projects. In many locations, renewables already provide 90 of the electricity consumed.

What the two parcel services show: Not only states, but also large companies want to become more sustainable. They thus fuel the demand for state-of-the-art technology, be it LED lighting, electric vehicles, solar systems or grid infrastructure; Strategic metals are an essential component in all of them.