Those boxy, white, electric delivery vans you may be seeing on the streets of Seattle are being used to deliver Amazon packages.
GeekWire spotted one of General Motors’ BrightDrop vans in the Ballard neighborhood this week and got an up-close look at the exterior and interior of the vehicle.
Independent Delivery Service Partners (DSP), who deliver packages in Amazon Prime-branded uniforms and vehicles, are using some of the BrightDrop vehicles. DSPs can choose to secure vehicles through rentals or other means as part of their work, according to Amazon.
Bloomberg reported last month that Amazon is separately testing about a dozen of the vans. The tech giant acquired a small number of the vehicles in 2023, according to a GM spokesperson. The pilot is reportedly aimed at exploring additional EV options for Amazon’s delivery fleet, which includes vans made by Rivian.
“We’re committed to having 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, and we regularly test various vehicle options — including a small number of Chevrolet BrightDrops in our fleet,” Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly previously told Bloomberg.
Amazon began rolling out electric delivery vans in summer 2022 as part of its Climate Pledge commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across global operations by 2040. The company said in June that it had more than 25,000 electric Rivian vans on the road across the U.S.
[ Related: Inside Amazon’s Rivian electric van: A greener, quieter ride — and a sliding door fit for Star Trek ]
The white vans are a stark contrast to the blue Amazon-branded fleet that usually includes the Prime logo and a quirky slogan splashed on the sides and back.
A blue-vested DSP driver behind the wheel told GeekWire he was enjoying driving the BrightDrop as he streamed his music through a large, center “infotainment” display. The back of the van featured no shelving, so packages were scattered on the floor of the van. The driver also said there was no AI-equipped Amazon safety camera installed in the front cab — and he liked that.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect that the vans are not part of Amazon’s test.
Check out more views of the BrightDrop van in Seattle:
