USA: UPS adds 200 hybrid electric vehicles to its fleet

Transportation company UPS plans to add 200 new hybrid electric delivery trucks to the company’s growing alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet.

The trucks, manufactured by Workhorse Group, Inc., will be deployed by UPS beginning in January 2017 starting in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, and, possibly in other states as well.

Equipped with lithium ion batteries and a range extender engine, these trucks will deliver approximately four times the fuel economy of a gasoline powered vehicle, according to UPS. The vehicles have the same 2-cylinder engine and E-GENTM chassis as the 125 vehicles UPS announced earlier this year.

“We are committed to developing alternative fuel vehicles that lessen our impact on the environment and reliance on petroleum based fuels – that effort is helping to transform markets and communities,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president global engineering and sustainability.

Using its “Rolling Laboratory” approach, UPS deploys more than 7,200 low-emission vehicles and achieved its goal of driving 1 billion miles with the alternative fuel fleet in August 2016.