Amazon is to start delivering hundreds of thousands of packages across Glasgow by electric cargo bikes with the help of a new hub.
The site has gone live in Baillieston and will boost sustainable deliveries in Scotland’s biggest city.
The new fleet of e-cargo bikes will take traditional vans off the city’s roads, alleviating traffic congestion and improving air quality.
Amazon now has electric cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries operational from hubs in more than 20 cities across the UK and Europe; new sites in London and Manchester launched last year. The work forms part of Amazon’s £300m investment in the electrification and decarbonisation of its UK transportation network.
The e-commerce giant 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.
John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: “With more than £300m committed to electrifying and decarbonising our transportation network over the coming years, we remain laser focused on reaching net zero carbon by 2040.
“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 welcomed moves by major businesses to develop micro mobility 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.”
Amazon is the co-founder of and the first signatory to the Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2040. As part of its commitment, it already has more than 1,000 electric delivery vans operation on UK roads, in addition to nine fully electric HGVs, the first in its fleet and providing replacements to traditional diesel trucks.
It’s also rolling out custom electric delivery vans from Rivian on its fleet in Europe; the vans have already been in operation in the US since 2022 and are being deployed by more compact versions on this side of the pond, starting first in Germany.
In separate news, a new micro logistics hub has also gone live in the London borough of Wandsworth under a Defra-funded project being run by the Cross River Partnership. Sustainable final-mile courier Delivery Mates has won the tender to operate daily from the 900 sq ft site and will use electric vehicles and cargo bikes for zero-emission last-mile deliveries.
