US DoE awards UPS grants for sustainability projects

UPS has announced that it has been awarded two grants from the US Department of Energy to conduct research aimed at reducing emissions and “revolutionizing” the charging process for electric trucks. The first grant, worth $1m with a possible expansion to $10m if the technology proves successful, will fund a joint project between UPS, Oak Ridge DOE National Lab, Workhorse, CALSTART and Cisco. Researchers will attempt to develop a charger for electric trucks that is embedded in the ground.

“With this new technology, electric trucks could recharge simply by positioning over the charger, so the charger induces a current in the vehicle to charge its batteries, much as an electric toothbrush does, with no metal to metal contact,” said UPS, adding: “Even more significant, if the UPS facility lost power for whatever reason, the power can also flow in the reverse direction from the charged batteries in the vehicles to the electric grid for the facility.”

UPS Automotive Director Mike Britt commented: “This is a potential game-changer for our electric vehicles. If successful, this technology would solve many electric vehicle charging issues and also expand operational efficiencies in the yard.”

The second grant, worth up to $3m, will seek to develop an exhaust system that could simplify and reduce the cost of cleaning up diesel emissions. The proposed research could improve torque and horsepower, reduce costs, improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise levels.