UPS has announced that it will deploy 18 electric, zero emission delivery vehicles to the Houston-Galveston area in Texas, USA. The electric vehicles have been designed and built by the Workhorse Group to meet UPS specifications, and will save approximately 1.1 million gallons of diesel fuel over the next 20 years.
The truck purchases are the result of a partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which provided a grant toward the vehicles as part of an ongoing effort to improve air quality in the Houston-Galveston area. The region is currently designated as a National Ambient Air Quality Non-Attainment Area a region where air pollution levels persistently exceed national air quality standards.
The electric trucks operate with electric motors and rechargeable batteries that supply seamless acceleration and regenerative braking, creating a safe and efficient vehicle. Delivery of the vehicles began last month and will continue throughout autumn 2015.
Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse Group, said, “The Workhorse E-100 was designed and built to meet UPS’s daily duty cycle, with a range of up to 70 miles a day. This UPS truck is designed from the ground up for local parcel delivery in high density, urban settings.”
The initiative adds to UPS’s Rolling Laboratory, a fleet of more than 6,430 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide, including 574 electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
Mark Wallace, senior vice president global engineering and sustainability, UPS, said, “Our goal is to deploy vehicles with the least environmental impact possible in each region, consistent with local regulations and economic conditions. Support from the DOE, local governments and the non-profit Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) helps us to accomplish this goal. We will continue to identify opportunities to drive innovation in our fleet and the marketplace.”
October 29, 2015