UPS set to test fully-electric delivery truck in Los Angeles
UPS has announced it will be working with Thor Trucks to develop and test a fully-electric class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles, California.
In a statement issued yesterday (31 July), UPS said that the truck has a driving range around 100 miles (which should be sufficient for urban deliveries) and is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
As a class 6, the truck is a “medium-duty” delivery vehicle.
UPS will be putting the Thor truck through its paces for about six months and, depending on the success of the deployment, the delivery company says it “may make additional purchases of the electric vehicle”.
Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS, commented: “UPS believes in the future of commercial electric vehicles. We want to support the research needed to make advances and the companies developing those innovative products.
“Performance is critical in our fleet. We are excited to get this vehicle on the road to test how it handles routes in and around Los Angeles.”
UPS has already made a significant investment to include low-emission vehicles within its delivery fleet. According to yesterday’s statement, UPS currently has a 9,000+ strong low-emission fleet – ranging from all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles to trucks running on alternative fuels such as ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane.
Alongside its collaboration with Thor, UPS is also working with Daimler, Tesla, Workhorse and the UK-based ARRIVAL on new electric trucks and it has also been rolling electric-assisted cargo bikes in cities in North America and Europe.
