Chances are, your latest Amazon package arrived on your doorstep via delivery van. But not every order is delivered this way. At Amazon, we’re never satisfied with the status quo and are always looking for innovative ways to improve deliveries.
With customers around the world who live in a variety of environments—ranging from remote islands to favelas with no formal addresses—our teams must often think of more creative delivery methods.
We’re also working to prioritize sustainability and efficiency when transporting your package from our delivery station to your door (we call this final part of the journey the “last mile”). In an effort to decarbonize our last-mile fleet, we’ve increased our use of lower-emission options like electric delivery vehicles, e-cargo bikes, and on-foot deliveries.
Check out the many unconventional ways Amazon packages are delivered around the world.
E-cargo bikes
With their compact size and maneuverability, e-cargo bikes are a convenient way for our delivery partners to make deliveries in crowded neighborhoods, especially in dense urban areas—all with zero-tailpipe emissions.
Amazon operates micromobility solutions like these e-cargo bikes in more than 40 cities across Europe, including Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, and Glasgow. In Italy, e-cargo bikes are just one component of micromobility hubs, which were launched as part of a €1 billion investment over 5 years to further electrify Europe's transport network.
Meanwhile, the majority of Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods grocery deliveries in Manhattan, New York are now completed via e-cargo bikes. We are also piloting e-cargo bikes to deliver packages in Brooklyn, with Delivery Service Partner (DSP) Delivery Associates delivering over 500 Amazon packages every day to customers.
Rivian electric vans
The Climate Pledge, Amazon announced a partnership with Rivian to bring 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030. We began rolling out our electric vans across the U.S. in the summer of 2022 and they’ve already delivered hundreds of millions of packages
These custom electric vans are outfitted with industry-leading safety, navigation, and design features, including embedded technology that enables seamless access to routing, navigation, driver support, and more; an ergonomically designed driver’s cabin and cargo area for safe, easy movement inside the van; and ventilated seats for fast heating and cooling.
Mules
At the bottom of the Grand Canyon lies Phantom Ranch, a historic oasis and the only place below the canyon rim that offers lodging. The only way to get there is on foot, river raft, or the Grand Canyon mules.
Mules are essential for delivering food and supplies to Phantom Ranch employees and guests. Loaded up with packages, the mules travel about four hours each way through incredible vistas, rocky terrain, the Colorado River, and an elevation change of almost 5,000 feet to reach the lush haven.
Motorbikes
In difficult-to-reach areas, Amazon DSP drivers on motorbikes zip through narrow streets and alleys to make deliveries. In Paraisópolis and other favelas across Brazil, homes often don’t have formal names, numbers, or addresses. Motorbikes provide easier access, and Amazon hires local residents who are more familiar with the area to make deliveries.
Motorbikes are also used for deliveries in the Himalayas, where extreme weather conditions, high altitudes, hairpin turns, and free-roaming cattle are par for the course. Thanks to Amazon DSP drivers, these customers are able to receive basic necessities, gifts, and more, and they can feel a bit more connected to the rest of the world.
Horse and dray carriage
Motor vehicles have been banned on Mackinac Island since the end of the nineteenth century, which means the 500 or so residents of this 4-square-mile resort destination in Michigan rely on horse-drawn carriages, bikes, and motorcycles to get around.
If an order is placed for delivery to the island’s iconic Main Street—packed with bicycle rentals, fudge shops, and gift shops—it would follow quite an interesting path, including a one-and-a-half hour ferry journey, followed by a horse and dray carriage ride.
On-foot deliveries with pushcarts
Many customer orders are delivered by delivery associates on foot in congested areas like New York City, Paris, and London, where it doesn’t always make sense to use vehicles to make deliveries.
These small but mighty electric pushcarts have a range of 25 miles and are equipped with lights and a top-of-the-line braking system. Their ergonomic design means it takes little to no effort to deliver packages.
More than 1,300 Delivery Associates in Manhattan and a small area of Queens use pushcarts to deliver packages to Amazon customers every day. In 2023, they delivered up to 220,000 packages daily in the city, reducing the need for hundreds of vehicles on the road every day.
Drones
In Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas, customers have the option of receiving their packages via Prime Air’s high-tech drone delivery system. In late 2024, Amazon will deploy its newest drone model, the MK30, in a third U.S. location, as well as in Italy and the UK.
The new drones can safely carry packages up to five pounds and deliver to customers’ backyards, typically in one hour or less. They can even fly in light rain.
Beyond household items like batteries and beauty products, customers in College Station can receive their prescription medications through Amazon Pharmacy in under one hour via drone.
Over-snow vehicles
The beautiful Yellowstone National Park—home to forests, mountains, canyons, and more than 10,000 hydrothermal features like hot springs, mud pots, and geysers—draws millions of visitors annually. In the winter, however, temperatures can plummet to -47 degrees Fahrenheit with several feet of snow and ice on the ground, and the number of visitors drops to thousands.
To reach people who live near Old Faithful and guests at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, drivers must use special over-snow trucks with four-wheel drive and oversized tires. Their journey is often delayed to allow herds of bison to cross the road.
Boats
Tourists riding the famous gondolas of Venice are a common sight—but have you ever noticed the vaporettos gliding along the waters, carrying Amazon packages? Customers like Simone Cenedese, a master glassmaker, frequently use Amazon to get the supplies needed to work on their craft.
Meet the Laura B., a 65-foot wooden boat that was once commissioned by the Army Transportation Corps for use in WWII. It plays an important role for the people who live on Monhegan, a rocky and quiet island off the coast of Maine where visitors enjoy hiking and birdwatching. The Laura B. “is part of a huge lifeline for us,” said Angela Iannicelli, the mail carrier on the island.
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