UPS expands fleet of hybrid electric delivery trucks
UPS has bought 125 new technology hybrid electric delivery trucks which will be deployed in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida in the first half of 2016. According to UPS, the new trucks will deliver significant fuel economy equivalency gains – up to four times the fuel economy of a gasoline powered vehicle, compared to a 10 to 15% improvement with previous hybrid designs.
The vehicles are being manufactured by Workhorse Group, Inc., a Cincinnati-based company which 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 global engineering and sustainability.
The company added that the trucks are “part of a broader program to deploy electric-powered vehicles with greater range and performance”. As Post&Parcel reported yesterday (9 September), UPS has also announced that it is trialing a new “range-extended” electric delivery vehicle in the UK.