Energy Efficiency, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables - March 6, 2018
UPS to deploy 50 electric delivery trucks
UPS announced plans to deploy 50 plug-in electric delivery trucks, collaborating with Workhorse Group, Inc. to design the vehicles from the ground up, with zero tailpipe emissions.
According to a statement from UPS, the electric fleet will be "comparable in acquisition cost to conventional-fueled trucks without any subsidies – an industry first that is breaking a key barrier to large-scale fleet adoption."
"Electric vehicle technology is rapidly improving with battery, charging and smart grid advances that allow us to specify our delivery vehicles to eliminate emissions, noise, and dependence on diesel and gasoline," said Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. He noted that the all-electric trucks will deliver by day, and re-charge overnight.
The company reported that since most of the maintenance costs of a vehicle are associated with the engine and related components, they expect the operating cost of the new plug-in electric vehicle to be less than a similarly equipped diesel or gasoline vehicle. UPS will test the vehicles primarily on urban routes, including Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
UPS’s goal is to make the new electric vehicles a standard selection, where appropriate, in its fleet of the future. The company currently has more than 300 electric vehicles deployed in Europe and the U.S., and nearly 700 hybrid electric vehicles.
UPS has pledged to obtain 25 percent of the electricity it consumes from renewable energy sources by 2025 and replace 40 percent of all ground fuel with sources other than conventional gasoline and diesel, an increase from 19.6 percent in 2016.
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