August , Christophe Gaussin told ISN Editor that he was in negotiations for a major contract with a major American player. “We are doing some tests and hope to sign”, said the head of the engineering company for transport and logistics systems. It is now a done deal. The veil on the identity of the customer can be lifted. It is Amazon. After two and a half years of referencing, the American e-commerce giant has just placed an order for 329 ATM 38-ton Full Elec fleet tractors for its logistics and distribution centers. An initial order for 45 units had already been announced at the end of October, but Gaussin, most likely bound by confidentiality agreements, had merely described its client as “an American logistics player”.
Factory in the United States
The first machines will be delivered to Amazon’s sites in the United States starting in 2023.
They will be manufactured from the French factory, which has a capacity of 2,400 electric tractors per year, until a production site is set up in the United States. “The order is subject to certain contractual terms and conditions, including the fact that it can be cancelled without penalty during a specified period prior to the scheduled delivery date of each tractor,” Gaussin said in its press release.
This order is accompanied by a possible entry into the capital of Amazon. The U.S. giant will receive warrants (BSA) that could allow it to hold up to 20% of the capital of Gaussin. The warrants will have a life of 10 years and will be exercisable in three successive tranches depending on the payments made to Gaussin, with the possibility of exercising all the warrants if payments reach €500 million or in the event of a change of control of the French company. The issuance of the warrants is subject to the approval of the shareholders who will be convened in 2023.
