How the job of Amazon delivery has changed with Rivians electric vans and routing software
Summary
Amazon was a big and early investor in the electric vehicle company, which went public in late 2021 with a plan to build trucks and SUVs for consumers and delivery vans for businesses. The DSP, which works exclusively with Amazon, employs the drivers and is responsible for the liabilities of the road, vehicle maintenance, and the costs of hiring, benefits and overtime pay. An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC the vans can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge, which is typically plenty of power for a full shift and allows drivers to recharge the vehicle overnight. Tomay said the maps also added points of interest like coffee shops and restrooms, so in about 95% of metro areas, "drivers can find a spot to take a break within five minutes of a stop." Tomay said the company looks at the density of packages, the complexity of delivery locations "and any other considerations like weather and traffic from past history to put a route together that we think is ideal."