UPS is to put into operation three eCanter medium-duty electric trucks from Daimler Trucks’ Fuso brand. The post will be the first commercial customer in the USA to use the series-produced vehicle, and will deploy the trucks across the country at locations that are to be determined.
The new EV trucks build on UPS’s Rolling Laboratory fleet of more than 8,500 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The all-electric medium-duty truck is Daimler Trucks’s answer to the public’s need for a zero-emission, zero-noise truck for inner-city distribution.
The Fuso eCanter has a range of approximately 62 miles and a load capacity of two to three tons, depending on body and usage, and its electric powertrain contains six high voltage lithium-ion battery packs with 420V and 13.8kWh each. In comparison with a conventional diesel truck, Daimler says it offers savings of more than US$1,000 in operating costs for approximately every 6,200 miles (9,977km).
Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering, UPS, said, “At UPS, we constantly evaluate and deploy advanced technologies that enable sustainable, innovative solutions for our fleet. Electric trucks make our fleet both cleaner and quieter. We have a long-standing global relationship with Daimler, and we welcome the opportunity to trial the Fuso eCanter as UPS continues to realize the benefits of electric trucks.”
The three Fuso eCanter vehicles join the more than 770 electric or hybrid-electric vehicles UPS operates in urban cities around the world. UPS recently set a goal that by 2020, one in four of its vehicles purchased annually will use alternative fuels or advanced technology. The company has invested more than US$750m in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally since 2009.
September 19, 2017