The rickshaw is one of the most ubiquitous and accessible means of transport in India, shouldering a significant share of people’s mobility needs in cities across the country.
But in a country struggling with smog, greener alternatives are needed to conventional gas-guzzling rickshaws. With that in mind, Amazon has recently revealed plans to deploy 10,000 electric rickshaws on Indian roads by 2025. The move follows successful trials in Indian cities in 2019, as the company also commits to new investment and job creation in the world’s second-most populous country.
The 10,000 electric rickshaws it will deploy include both three and four-wheeled vehicles that have been designed and built in India and will become operational in more than 20 cities by the end of 2025. The initiative is part of Amazon’s so-called Climate Pledge announced back in September, committing the company to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2040 through means of reducing its energy dependence on non-renewable resources and electrifying its delivery fleet.
Though Amazon remains a company with a weak position when it comes to climate action, we at The Optimist Daily think it’s important to keep an eye out on what a big company like Amazon is doing considering their massive impact on our planet.
