UPS Adds Electric Vehicles With Longer Range
UPS Inc. announced that it purchased 125 additional hybrid electric delivery trucks as part of a broader program to deploy electric-powered vehicles with longer range and performance.
UPS, which ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, said the new trucks will deliver fuel-economy equivalency gains with up to four times the fuel economy of a gasoline-powered vehicle, compared to a 10% to 15% improvement with previous hybrid designs.
They will be deployed in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida the first half of 2016, the company said.
While the new electric vehicles will cost UPS slightly more than a similar truck with a conventional engine, the company said its sustainability commitment influenced the purchase decision. UPS began using hybrid-electric vehicles in 1998.
The company did not provide the exact cost of the latest vehicles.
Workhorse Group Inc., a Cincinnati-based company, manufactured the vehicles and also manufactures electric drive systems for commercial trucks and can equip them with electric engines.
“These vehicles are a bridge to the delivery trucks of tomorrow,” said Mark Wallace, UPS' senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability. “This investment will help create and grow the market for groundbreaking alternative propulsion systems that reduce environmental impact, reduce operating costs and save fuel.”
UPS, with its suppliers, continues to work toward development of the next generation of zero-emissions trucks, the company said.
UPS is collaborating with Workhorse to develop a more intelligent electric vehicle to determine when and where the batteries will be charged and recharged, the company said.
The initiative is part of UPS’ Rolling Laboratory program, which seeks to optimize the use of alternative-fuel and advanced-technology vehicles.
“These trucks are designed specifically to meet the stop-and-start needs of UPS’ urban delivery routes,” said Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse Group Inc. “They rely on a very small internal combustion engine and lithium ion battery to deliver a 50- to 60-mile per-day range. We are thrilled to work with UPS to develop and deliver innovative solutions to today’s transportation challenges.”
