{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","contentId":"0000018e-af84-d5f9-a9bf-bfa7b8570001","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/unique-amazon-delivery-methods","headline":"9 unique ways Amazon packages are delivered around the world, from e-bikes to mules","description":"The Amazon vans you’ve come to know aren’t the only way we deliver smiles.","datePublished":"2024-04-12T14:00:00Z","dateModified":"2024-04-12T14:00:00Z","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Connie Chen","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com/author/connie-chen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/a394298/2147483647/strip/true/crop/799x799+0+0/resize/84x84!/grayscale/true/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F9d%2F15%2Fef41ef2f425da779eeb67bf126a9%2F1637178821298.jpg","width":"84","height":"84"}}],"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/318ca0f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F36%2F78%2F3f4e6ac74b5daca3ce5611382742%2Faa-apr2024-uniquewayspackagesaredelivered-hero-v1-2000x1125.jpg","width":"300","height":"200"},"articleBody":"![a collage of five different unique amazon delivery methods: a rivian van driving down a road, a man riding an e-cargo bike in new york, a pack of mules crossing a bridge, bison following a truck in yellowstone, and a prime air drone ](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/318ca0f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F36%2F78%2F3f4e6ac74b5daca3ce5611382742%2Faa-apr2024-uniquewayspackagesaredelivered-hero-v1-2000x1125.jpg)\n\n# 9 unique ways Amazon packages are delivered around the world, from e-bikes to mules\n\n*The Amazon vans you’ve come to know aren’t the only way we deliver smiles. *\n\nChances are, your latest Amazon package [arrived on your doorstep](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/how-do-amazon-packages-get-delivered) 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.\n\nWith \n\ncustomers around the world\n\n 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.\n\nWe’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.\n\n**Check out the many unconventional ways Amazon packages are delivered around the world.**\n\n## E-cargo bikes\n\nWith 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.\n\n![An image of an Amazon employee delivering packages on a bike in New York.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/fe79373/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F4b%2F46%2Fad3542f14f06ae01f98abf962146%2Fabout-amazon-inline-ebike.jpg)\n\n![an amazon delivery partner wearing a helmet takes two packages out the back of an e-cargo bike in manchester ](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/978861a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4250x2835+0+0/resize/767x512!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F84%2Fc0%2F4a59072f4f10aa065203dee41121%2Famazonmicroabilitymanchesterovers-170.JPG)\n\nAmazon 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.\n\n![Small enclosed electric vehicle on green bike lane in busy city street](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/dc32fa5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff2%2Fc9%2F56ad17744af994902bae26078777%2Fabout-amazon-hero-hero001-aa-ebikes-amazon-co2-9123-copy-3530x1986.jpg)\n\n- [How Amazon packages are delivered in densely populated areas like New York City with e-bikes and on foot](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-delivery-new-york-nyc)\n\nMeanwhile, 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](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/photos-day-in-the-life-amazon-delivery-driver) delivering over 500 Amazon packages every day to customers.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers via e-bike in NYC](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-delivery-new-york-nyc)\n\n## Rivian electric vans\n\nAs part of \n\n[The Climate Pledge](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/what-is-the-climate-pledge), Amazon announced a partnership with Rivian to [bring 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-electric-delivery-vans-from-rivian) 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\n\n.\n\n![an amazon rivian truck drives along a road with wind turbines in the background](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/5aa885d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F9d%2F3d%2F367b46934e46850859e6f4dc313c%2Fabout-amazon-inline-amazon-rivian-acam-18890-final.jpg)\n\nThese 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.\n\n![A photo of Brandi Monroe, a delivery driver for Kangaroo Direct, an Amazon Delivery Service Partner in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Brandi is standing at the front of the entrance door to an Amazon delivery van from Rivian, with arms open to the staircase.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/998a596/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff4%2F61%2Fa0bb3dcf417ca61827309ba482b6%2Frivianvantour-hero-2000x1125.jpg)\n\n- [I’m an Amazon DSP driver in Baltimore. My favorite features on our new vans from Rivian are the air-conditioned seats and the screen built into the dash.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-dsp-rivian-van-photo-tour)\n\n![The inside driver side of the an Amazon Rivian delivery vehicle.  There is a big screen with a camera showing the outside of the vehicle.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/268d922/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F2b%2F54%2Fb7ac875046bca990463816889468%2Frivian-inline-img1-1600x900.jpg)\n\nTo support our fleet, we’ve installed [thousands of chargers](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/everything-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-electric-delivery-vans-from-rivian) at delivery stations across the U.S.\n\n[Take a virtual test drive of the Rivian van](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-delivery-driver-test)\n\n[Follow along on a typical day as a delivery driver in a Rivian van](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/photos-day-in-the-life-amazon-delivery-driver)\n\n## Mules\n\nAt 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.\n\n![Mules ride behind front rider as they go down a trail in the Grand Canyon.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/fbf7acb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fe3%2Fd3%2F279cfb204b4590b9e137d41e070c%2Finline-003-amazon-gc-27-copy.JPG)\n\n![Image of a line of mules heading down a trail.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/070d6ec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F84%2F84%2F3f3fc4a846148c759fc3dfb308c3%2Finline-grandcanyon-amazon-delivery-008-amazon-gc-13-copy.JPG)\n\n![Image of the sun reflecting off the cliffs of the Grand Canyon as mules transport packages down.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/c33633e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F32%2F9d%2F9a7f19f94314a1a61aef9bbfeb96%2Finline-007-amazon-gc-15-copy.JPG)\n\nMules 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to the bottom of the Grand Canyon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/how-amazon-delivers-to-customers-at-the-bottom-of-the-grand-canyon)\n\n## Motorbikes\n\nIn 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to customers in favelas across Brazil](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/how-amazon-delivers-to-customers-in-favelas-across-brazil)\n\n![A motorcycle drives along  winding roads.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/050768e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/362x281+0+0/resize/767x595!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff7%2F16%2Fbebba9ba4bd4bb2b39651146b7c5%2Fmoto-square-362-281.gif)\n\nMotorbikes 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to Leh, India](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazons-most-extreme-delivery)\n\n## Horse and dray carriage\n\nMotor 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.\n\nIf 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.\n\n![A woman rides a horse and dray carriage to deliver Amazon packages to the people that live on Mackinac Island.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/648ff89/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1100x825+0+0/resize/767x575!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fa3%2F37%2F3569b9744e6abb519e33fd2b9dba%2Fmackinacdelivery-013.jpg)\n\n![A woman loads Amazon packages on to a carriage pulled by two horses.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f4498dd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1100x825+0+0/resize/767x575!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F4a%2Fee%2Fd6309a124554b48ae0015c6717f5%2Fmackinacdelivery-010.jpg)\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to Mackinac Island](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/how-amazon-delivers-holiday-magic-to-mackinac-island-michigan)\n\n## On-foot deliveries with pushcarts\n\nMany 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.\n\nThese 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.\n\n![Amazon delivers to customers in NYC](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/1e8beb5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2550x1434+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff8%2F12%2F77f3288c4516bd0ea2f28d8e7b05%2Fabout-amazon-feature-dnk5-walkers-5.jpg)\n\nMore 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.\n\n## Drones\n\nIn Tolleson, Arizona, 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](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-updates), and with plans to offer this in Italy and the UK.\n\n![An employee loads a package into a delivery drone before it takes flight](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/fac3fe1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2550x1434+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fea%2Fdc%2Ffeeb9d654edb84f26ab30c13c1e8%2Fabout-amazon-feature-inline-010-amazon-drone-mk30-zsc-7764.jpg)\n\nThe 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.\n\nBeyond household items like batteries and beauty products, [customers in Tolleson can receive their prescription medications through Amazon Pharmacy](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-pharmacy-amazon-air-prescription-drone-delivery) in under one hour via drone.\n\n![An image of an Amazon Drone in the sky. ](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/683c530/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x1068+0+0/resize/767x512!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F12%2F88%2F583ca6e443468ccab091e16bdd65%2Finline-001-amazon-pharmacy-drone-delivery-inline-001-amazon-drone-delivery-dzy-7104-copy.JPG)\n\n![360 degree GIF of the new mk30 prime air drone](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/9140681/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1220x686+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fa7%2F51%2F4088866b421ea460a4422e3c78cd%2Fdf-icon-spins-drone10-13-1.gif)\n\n![An image of two Amazon Pharmacy prescription bottles with an Amazon delivery drone blurred in the background. ](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/0c401fe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F17%2Fa7%2Ffd73dcd04019a4af3c0c920a7286%2Finline-004-amazon-pharmacy-drone-delivery-ap-drone-bottles-drone-copy.JPG)\n\n[See exclusive photos of Prime Air’s new MK30 drone](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-mk30-photos)\n\n## Over-snow vehicles\n\nThe 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.\n\n![An image of vehicles delivering Amazon packages in Yellowstone National Park during the winter as bison walk on the snow-covered road.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/4dfae7a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1125+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F41%2F2f%2F4467f5214e219ae6f3707c55833a%2Fabout-amazon-hero-inline02-amazon-yellowstone-inline02-amazon-yellowstone-2024-01-yellowstone-6812.jpg)\n\nTo 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to Yellowstone National Park during the winter](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/how-amazon-delivers-to-customers-in-yellowstone-national-park-in-winter)\n\n## Boats\n\nTourists 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers through the Venetian Lagoon in Murano, Italy](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/follow-an-amazon-delivery-through-the-venetian-lagoon-in-murano-italy)\n\n![Photos of an aerial view of the Lagoon and an Amazon delivery driver handing over a delivery to a customer at his doorstep.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f65d1d9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1647x1098+77+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fa6%2Fcc%2Fa594ff7b40b39c7dc7fbc068307c%2Fmurano-gallery1-1800x1098.jpg)\n\n![Amazon packages travel by boat, vehicle, and are delivered directly to customers.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/d84172a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/585x390+54+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fe8%2F79%2Fd128c207453faf34303f98f7c413%2Fdelivery-slideshow-1.jpg)\n\nMeet 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.\n\n[Watch how Amazon delivers to a remote island 10 miles off the coast of Maine](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/how-amazon-delivers-to-a-remote-island-10-miles-off-the-coast-of-maine)\n\n**Explore more unique delivery locations around the world:**\n\nThen, [see how Amazon trains drivers at the Last Mile Driver Academy in Colorado](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-last-mile-driver-academy-delivery-training).","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"About Amazon","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com","sameAs":["https://x.com/amazonnews","https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon","https://www.instagram.com/amazonnews"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/bd/8f/88e7b0314cc2bd05b9de3155a0fe/amazon-news.svg"},"parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Amazon","url":"https://www.amazon.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3884","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)","https://x.com/Amazon"]}}}