UPS expands UK green fleet

UPS has expanded its green fleet in the UK to 20 vehicles. The company has purchased 14 purpose-built, electric vehicles from British manufacturer Modec.

The vehicles will operate out of UPS’s Camden and Barking facilities, which lie within London’s Low Emission Zone.

They will join UPS’s existing fleet of Modec vehicles which have been operating out of the Camden facility since 2009.

The all-electric vehicles will form a key part of the UPS fleet that will serve many of the host venues before, during and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is an important step in our continued commitment to making our UK operations more sustainable. Over the past few years, we have invested in technological improvements allowing us to expand our electric fleet, such as installing extra charging units at our London facilities,” said Cindy Miller, managing director UPS UK, Ireland & Nordics.

“With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games only eighteen months away, we are very focused on reducing the carbon footprint of our delivery network in the capital,” she added.

Developed by Modec, the electric vehicle is one of the first of its kind to effectively harness the power of modern, high energy batteries in order to meet the medium range, high performance requirements of hard working, urban delivery vehicles.

Each vehicle can undertake around 60 miles on a 6 hour charge. As an electric vehicle, the Modec is exempt from road tax, is not liable for the congestion charge, nor does it require MOT or tachograph.

Roger Atkins, sales director, Modec, said: “We have been working very closely for a number of years with the UPS team to ensure that Modec electric vehicles are an excellent commercial proposition, and that they can be seen on the streets in increasing numbers. As well as the global benefits of reduced emissions, improvement in local air quality is also vital – especially in London.”

Globally, UPS has been utilising alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years. Most recently, the company announced the purchase of 130 next generation hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in September 2010, adding to its growing alternative-fuel vehicle fleet in the US.

UPS already operates one of the largest private alternative-fuel fleets in the package delivery industry – 1,949 in total.

The fleet is deployed in eight countries besides the U.S. and has travelled more than 185m miles since 2000.