Amazon shipping could be a tipping point for electric fleets

Among the multiple double-parked vehicles that perpetually idle on my block in San Francisco, I spotted something a little different the other day: an Amazon-branded van.

While many packages delivered daily on my street likely were purchased from Amazon, it's less common (right now) that those goods arrive in one of the e-commerce company's own vehicles.

The branded delivery vans are part of Amazon's recently created program under which contractors can launch local delivery businesses for the retail giant and courier packages using Amazon's fleet. The entrepreneurs lease the vans through fleet management companies.

Amazon likely was able to get a pretty good deal on a 20,000-van bulk order from Daimler that will serve this program. And it's a big deal for Amazon to tread new ground with this innovative model.