UPS has ordered 100 all-electric delivery vehicles to be deployed in California, the company said.
The vehicles will be purchased from Electric Vehicles International (EVI) of Stockton, CA. They will replace existing diesel trucks. According to UPS, the Class 6 walk-in vans will have a 90-mi. range and displace an estimated 126,000 gals. of fuel a year compared to the diesel trucks.
“This purchase is a milestone for UPS’s alternative fleet expansion,” said Mike Britt, UPS’s director of vehicle engineering. “UPS’s research and development of alternative technologies has determined it is time to explore electric drive systems within the short-range segment of our delivery fleet. This purchase is an important first step in supporting investment and advancement in electric vehicle technology. EVI’s vehicle met our requirements in the test phase. Now we will operate these vehicles in the real world and help establish the future viability of this technology.”
UPS currently has 28 all-electric vehicles in its fleet operating in New York City and in Europe.
Valence Technology will supply lithium phosphate batteries for the vehicles.
“Valence is the exclusive advanced battery supplier to EVI, and we are proud to partner with them and UPS to further introduce environmentally clean electric delivery vehicles in the state of California,” said Robert L. Kanode, president and chief executive officer of Valence Technology. “We feel this order is substantial evidence that leading international commercial fleet companies understand the cost effectiveness and environmental benefits of electric vehicles powered by Valence batteries.”
