In late 2018, delivery firm UPS will introduce a fleet of 50 plug-in delivery trucks in the US with the expectation of an even larger fleet in 2019. It says the cost of EVs relative to diesel is rapidly falling.
UPS already has a sizeable fleet of electric vehicles in service across the US and Europe, but the new fleet comes at a much lower cost that is almost similar to diesel-fuelled trucks, UPS says. As such, the company is able to scale up its electric fleet much faster without the need for subsidies, it says.
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UPS is working with transport company Workhorse Group to design and build the trucks from scratch.
The trucks are reportedly able to perform at four times the efficiency of combustion engine trucks while emitting lower noise and zero pollutants.
With delivery services expected to grow steadily due to online shopping, UPS's stance to turn to electric trucks is crucial in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions.
Carlton Rose, the president of global fleet maintenance and engineering at UPS sees the improving battery charging and mileage as a crucial factor in the success of the company's fleet. Rose described UPS's new trucks a "quantum leap forward" for the company's delivery fleet.
The new trucks have a range of about 100 miles on a full charge, which makes them ideal for service in densely populated urban areas with multiple drop-offs. A number of cities including Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta have been selected as test zones for the trucks.
