• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, February 6, 2020

Amazon is upgrading its delivery fleet.

They won’t yet be self-driving, but vehicles Amazon is having built will have plenty of automated technology built in.

Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian, with deliveries starting in 2021, with 10,000 of the delivery vans expected to be on the road by 2022.

The story of the vans is really in the tech involved.

If a driver gets distracted, an automatic warning system detects it.

The vehicles will have a pedestrian warning system, automated emergency braking, lane keep assist and traffic design recognition.

The design incorporates Amazon’s technology, including a digital instrument cluster and central display screen integrated with Amazon’s logistics management, as well as routing and package delivery technology systems.

Of course, Amazon’s voice agent Alexa is included, so drivers can use voice commands in the cargo bay when sorting packages.