UPS has launched its first range-extended electric delivery vehicle for initial trials in the UK, developed in collaboration with Tevva Motors. Range-extending technology allows electric vehicles to go further, serving routes that would otherwise be beyond the capability of a conventional electric vehicle.
Peter Harris, sustainability director, UPS Europe, said, “With around 5,800 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide, sustainability is more than a practice at UPS, it’s a value. This vehicle highlights our commitment to integrating new technologies into our delivery fleet. Finding the best, most responsible fleet solutions to suit our business and serve our customers is an important part of our sustainability strategy.”
Since June 2014, UPS has worked with Tevva Motors to develop a prototype, as part of UPS’s growing investment in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. A small, highly efficient diesel engine acts as a generator to recharge the batteries if they become depleted out on the road. This significantly increases the range of the vehicle, potentially by several hundred kilometers, on top of its normal range of 75km (47miles)-100km (62miles) without range extension.
Through its rolling laboratory, UPS is constantly evaluating and experimenting to determine which alternatives offer a sustainable way of making deliveries in various scenarios, such as urban centers or long-range deliveries. Geo-fencing technology installed in the vehicle means it will operate in a purely electric capacity in urban areas to reduce the impact on air quality. Should additional power to the batteries be required, telemetry technology ensures that the range-extending diesel motor operates where the impact on air quality will be minimal, such as on the motorway.
The Range Extended Electric Vehicle will first be deployed in Barking, east London. It will operate in a suburban environment, covering about 100km (62miles)-150km (93miles) per day. The prototype will initially run for 12 months to assess the potential for the vehicle to be used more widely in UPS operations.
September 16, 2015