Amazon just doubled down on urban delivery innovation with a massive new order. The e-commerce giant is partnering with Rivian's Also spinoff to deploy "thousands" of pedal-assist cargo bikes across Europe and the US, marking the next chapter in their logistics partnership that previously revolutionized delivery vans.
Amazon just made its biggest bet yet on pedal-powered logistics. The retail giant announced it's working with Rivian's Also spinoff to custom-design thousands of four-wheel cargo bikes that'll soon zip through city streets from London to Los Angeles.
The partnership centers on Also's newly unveiled TM-Q quad vehicle, which Amazon wants to deploy "across Europe and the US" according to The Verge's exclusive reporting. The scale is striking - we're talking thousands of units, not a pilot program.
"Micromobility solutions like pedal-assist e-cargo quads allow us to quickly deliver to customers in dense, urban cities, while helping reduce traffic and noise," Emily Barber, Director of Amazon's Global Fleet, told reporters. The bikes can navigate tight spaces where delivery trucks get stuck in traffic or can't find parking.
This isn't Amazon's first rodeo with cargo bikes. The company's been testing electric cargo bikes in cities across North America for years, but this Rivian partnership represents a massive scaling effort. Where previous tests involved dozens of bikes, Amazon's now talking about fleet-level deployment.
The timing makes sense. Urban delivery costs keep climbing as cities crack down on diesel trucks and parking becomes scarcer. Pedal-assist cargo bikes can carry substantial loads while accessing bike lanes and pedestrian areas traditional vehicles can't reach. For Amazon, that means faster deliveries and lower operating costs in high-density markets.
The TM-Q shares DNA with Also's TM-B two-wheeled e-bike, including pedal-by-wire technology and removable batteries that double as mobile power banks. But the four-wheel design offers more cargo capacity and stability for heavier packages.
This deal also signals the evolution of Amazon's relationship with Rivian. Their original partnership focused on electric delivery vans, with Rivian building custom EDV trucks exclusively for Amazon for several years. But after that exclusivity ended, to other commercial customers.
