Amazon unleashes new vehicles to combat traffic in busy California neighborhood

Amazon is putting a new spin on deliveries in California, deploying more than 25 electric cargo bikes in Culver City as it looks to cut the number of vehicles clogging city streets.The West Coast fleet will start deliveries on Wednesday, with each e-bike carrying around 240 packages per shift, including one refill stop, reported CBS.The pedal-powered vehicles top out at 12 mph and come equipped with rear cameras, regenerative braking and automatic parking brakes.Their compact design also allows operators to use bike lanes.Amazon unveiled the new fleet in a press conference Tuesday ahead of the launch.The company says the bikes can help ease congestion, traffic and noise by taking larger delivery vehicles off the road.“So they take a smaller footprint.They’re able to operate in the bike lane, and they allow our delivery service partners to hire delivery associates to their companies without driver’s licenses,” said Samantha Ciccone-Strumph, Amazon senior manager, strategic programs, as cited by the outlet.Delivery workers undergo extensive training, including an in-person road course, and then spend two weeks on condensed routes to learn the job.The e-cargo bikes are already operating in more than 50 cities across Europe, and Burbank is expected to follow Culver City in getting its own fleet.The rollout is part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge to reach net-zero carbon by 2040....