Amazon Ends Speedy Delivery by Kia Soul in Favor of Gig Workers
Amazon.com Inc. is ending an experiment that saw drivers in Kia Souls make same-day deliveries and will rely on its network of gig-economy workers instead.
In the test, Amazon contract delivery firms in several US states deployed drivers for four- or five-hours shifts in the boxy little Kia Corp. hatchbacks. The trial, which began to roll out in 2023, gave the world's largest online retailer more control over deliveries. If widely deployed, it also could have reduced the company's reliance on Amazon Flex drivers, who use their own cars to ferry orders to customers' homes. Those gig workers will now pick up the affected routes.
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