It’s quite difficult to buy a used Amazon van. Amazon does not sell its vans, and they are owned by their delivery partners. If they are being sold somewhere, it can be hard to find them. Your best option is to look at local auctions or vehicle brokers who may have access to one.
Generally, it is very hard to find Amazon vans that are up for sale, impossible even. This is because Amazon doesn’t sell its vans, they are made specifically for Amazon, and it doesn’t want just anyone to have one.
If you are set on getting a used Amazon van, there are a few things that you can do to try to find one. But don’t be surprised if you end up not having any luck, they are a hard vehicle to find used.
Look at Auctions or Vehicle Brokers
If you really want to try to buy a used Amazon van, you have two options that might yield the best results. There is a possibility that you could find a used van at a local auction or find a vehicle broker who can find one for you.
These are your two best options if you want to be able to buy an Amazon van that has been retired.
Amazon does not technically own its own vans, its delivery service partners own them. Because of this, it would not be Amazon that sells the vans.
There is a chance that if an Amazon van gets too worn out, it may be retired by the delivery partner that owns it. If this is the case, they just might end up putting it up for auction or selling it privately.
If you have no luck at local auctions, you can try contacting a vehicle broker as they will have more contacts. If an Amazon van is up for sale, they should be able to find it for you.
Amazon Does Not Sell Its Vans
One of the reasons why Amazon does not sell its vans is because the delivery service partners are the ones who technically own the vehicles. They have had to put money into them to create their own fleet, making the vans their property.
These delivery partners also have no real reason to want to sell the Amazon vans as they were all made in 2018 when Amazon first had the design created. This means that all of the vans are still technically new and in good shape.
As a result, the chances of many delivery vans being put into retirement are very unlikely, which is part of why they are almost impossible to buy used.
Amazon also doesn’t necessarily want just anyone driving their vans around, which is why they have never sold them. Because Amazon is in the business of selling, many assume that its vans are also up for sale, but they actually aren’t.
This is apparently one thing that Amazon has no intention of selling unless one of its partners has a good reason to.
Amazon Vans Are Owned By Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners
As we talked about above, Amazon’s delivery service partners are the real owners of Amazon’s huge delivery van fleet. They are the ones who have put in most of the money to own these vans.
Though Amazon placed a huge order for its delivery vans in 2018, it resold them to its delivery partners. Because this would have been an extensive financial investment, Amazon created a leasing program.
This helped the partners to be able to buy the Amazon vans and create their own fleets to do Amazon’s bidding. All they needed was $10,000 to start out and build their own Amazon delivery company on the side.
Amazon Vans Are Based On the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Amazon van model was designed off of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van. An ideal van design for carrying heavy loads and delivering from place to place.
It has been said that Mercedes-Benz design went up significantly in sales since 2018, as people fell in love with the Amazon van design. This led many to purchase their own Mercedes-Benz Sprinter so that their vehicle could be similar to the Amazon van design.
Since they are so hard to get your hands on, buying a model of Mercedes-Benz became the next best option. It is also similar in price, since they are much the same size and made similarly.
An Amazon Van Costs $50,860
Amazon vans cost $50,860 exactly, with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter costing significantly less at around $38,300.
If it weren’t for Amazon’s vehicle leasing program, this would be an unimaginable cost for its delivery service partners. They would never be able to build a fleet at that cost per van since many fleets are made up of 30 to 40 delivery vans.
It is unknown how much a used Amazon van would cost since there aren’t any examples of anyone being able to buy one.
If they are out there, they are very rare and because of that, will most likely still be on the pricey side.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Amazon Van
Even if you did manage to find a used Amazon van that was up for sale, there are a few things to consider before actually buying it. As much as you may want an Amazon van, it is important to consider the pros and cons.
Like any vehicle, these vans have their benefits and their downsides, both of which should be carefully considered before buying. Here are the important pros and cons to look at before buying a used Amazon delivery van.
Pros
- These types of delivery vans are very large and well built, allowing them to be useful cargo vans for heavy loads and long distances.
- Amazon vans are exceptionally tall and long while still being manageable to drive. They aren’t as big as some other models of a cargo van, making them easier to navigate and steer.
- A used Amazon van will be relatively young as they were only created in 2018. Unlike some other used vans that could be much older and in worse shape.
Cons
- Amazon vans are covered in Amazon’s logos and branding, making it a fairly noticeable vehicle. If you plan on buying one, you will have to decide what to do about all of the Amazon branding on the sides.
- These vans have been worked pretty hard and have racked up a considerable amount of miles through delivery. Even though they were only made in 2018, this can have taken a toll on the van itself, making it a weak investment.
- Amazon vans are large cargo vans designed to be able to fit as many deliveries into the back as possible. This makes for a relatively difficult vehicle to drive if you are not used to the size.
- Amazon vans can be very difficult to park due to their length and height. This makes them less than ideal for residential places or areas where the roads are narrow and the parking is tight.
Amazon is Replacing Its Fleet With Electric Vans
It is widely known that Amazon has already started the process of replacing the vans that it currently has. It has already bought an estimated 100,000 electric vans that it plans to slowly add to its already large fleet of delivery vans.
It decided to move its design to electric vans after its pledge to become more eco-friendly in the near future. Replacing its estimated 30,000 fleets of vans with electric delivery vans is a part of that decision.
Amazon is not releasing these vans that quickly, but it is instead slowly adding them to its existing fleet. It will continue to do this as the current vans go into retirement over the next few years.
Unlike the present Amazon vans that are priced at $50,860, these new electric delivery vans are a whopping $70,000 as far as we know.
Once Amazon takes the step to officially start replacing its current vans with the electric ones, they may become easier to find used.