Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- sustained / səˈsteɪnd / (adj.) – continuing for a long time without becoming weak or less
Example:The people thanked the rescuers for their sustained efforts whenever there are calamities.
- pledge / plɛdʒ / (n.) – a formal or serious promise to do something
Example:The newly elected mayor made a pledge to improve the public hospitals in the city.
- hub / hʌb / (n.) – an important place for a particular activity
Example:This art gallery serves as a hub for new artists who want to display their artwork.
- centrally / ˈsɛn trəl i / (adv.) – in a way that can be easily reached or accessed because of its location
Example:This centrally located university has the most number of students in the city.
- recall / ˈrɪ kɔl / (n.) – a request from a company telling people to return a product because something is wrong with it
Example:The tech company issued a recall of smartphones that are suddenly overheating.
Article
Read the text below.
Amazon said it will invest 1 billion euros ($972.1 million) to add thousands of more electric vans, long-haul trucks and cargo bikes to its delivery network in Europe.
The investment would grow the number of electric delivery vans the company has in Europe from roughly 3,000 to 10,000 by 2025, the Seattle-based retail giant said in an announcement on its website.
With the investment, Amazon is also hoping to purchase more than 1,500 electric trucks, up from five in the United Kingdom. To accommodate those vehicles, the company said it will build hundreds of fast chargers across its European facilities that can charge the vehicles in roughly two hours.
“Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas of our business to decarbonize, and to achieve net-zero carbon will require a substantial and sustained investment,” Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, said in a statement, referring to the company’s pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040. Despite the pledge, the company said its carbon emissions grew by 18% last year, driven by the surge in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon has launched 25 “micro-mobility hubs,” or more centrally located delivery stations in dense European cities, that allow the company to try out different delivery methods, such as bike and foot deliveries. It said it expects to double those hubs by 2025, which will allow the company to take more delivery vans off the road.
The retailer has already ordered 100,000 electric vans from Rivian Automotive, which issued a recall for almost all its vehicles in order to tighten a loose fastener. In a recent securities filing, Rivian said it planned to deliver the vehicles to Amazon by 2025. Amazon has said it plans to roll out those vehicles to more than 100 cities by 2030.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Do you think Amazon is making a smart move about investing 1 billion euros to reduce its carbon emission on its transportation network? Why or why not? Are there any simpler ways to decarbonize without spending a lot of money? Discuss.
- How do you think this pro-environment move from Amazon will affect other businesses (ex. they will be inspired to do some environmental initiatives as well)? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Why do you think Amazon has been a very successful online shop? Discuss.
- What do you think led to the surge in online shopping during the pandemic (ex. people had lots of needs, people were bored staying at home)? Discuss.