Amazon adding heavy-duty EV trucks from Einride as it spreads bets on freight decarbonization

Swedish EV trucking company Einride is deploying 75 manually operated electric heavy-duty trucks in Amazon's Relay freight network, an expansion of the freight EV startup's push into the U.S. ahead of a planned public offering, and Amazon's push to expand no-emissions electrification technology across its logistics network and beyond last-mile delivery.

The Einride trucks will support Amazon's middle-mile network as part of Amazon Relay, the company's Uber-like app for truck drivers that lets them book and haul Amazon loads, and which Amazon launched in 2017. Trucks operating in the middle mile move orders between Amazon's fulfillment centers, sort centers, air facilities, and last-mile delivery stations.

The Einride EVs are projected to drive up to three million electric transport miles annually with zero-tailpipe emissions. Einride will also support charging infrastructure across five locations. Einride's proprietary optimization software, Saga AI, is also being used to manage EV execution of select Amazon loads, including charging planning.

"Working with Amazon is yet another powerful validation of Einride's technology and strategic vision," wrote Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday announcing the deal. "By deploying our intelligent platform within one of the world's most sophisticated logistics networks, we are accelerating growth, while continuing to build industry-leading operational expertise."

Einride has made the CNBC Disruptor 50 list for three consecutive years, ranking No. 24 in 2025.

Amazon has been expanding its freight business for years to create an end-to-end logistics network, and at the same time, to electrify it.

As of mid-2025, Amazon said it had more than 70,000 owned-trailers in its fleet.

Amazon announced a deal with Rivian, including an investment in the EV startup, under then-CEO Jeff Bezos back in 2019 to add a total of 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030. In early 2025, Amazon Europe announced its largest-ever order of EV big rigs from Mercedes, 200 trucks. In 2024, Amazon deployed its then-largest heavy-duty EV fleet for the U.S. freight market tied to Southern California ports, 50 trucks from Volvo.

"This rollout is an important step forward in addressing one of the toughest challenges we face in decarbonizing our transportation network — electrifying heavy-duty trucking," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement about the Einride deal. "We're excited to continue to collaborate with Einride and learn from these operations as the trucks hit the road."

While the Amazon deal does not include autonomous trucking, 2026 also is expected to be a big year for Einride and its EV trucking rivals including Waabi, Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI, in expanding autonomous operations in the U.S.

Einride recently secured approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate its autonomous vehicles on public roads in Texas, its fifth U.S. state. The plan for driverless trucks in Austin, Texas, follows similar approvals for roads in Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Einride currently runs the first daily commercial autonomous route for GE Appliances in the town of Selmer, Tennessee, where GE manufactures refrigerators, but anticipates that Texas will be "a core hub for our American autonomous freight operations," according to Charli.

Einride has announced its intentions to go public via a SPAC with Legato Merger Corp. III during the first half of this year, a deal projected to raise over $300 million. Amazon board member and former NSA Director General (Ret.) Keith B. Alexander joined Einride's board of directors earlier this month as the company also seeks more defense sector business.

—*CNBC's Annie Palmer contributed reporting.*

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