UPS today announced the deployment of 18 electric, zero emission delivery vehicles to the Houston-Galveston area in Texas. The truck purchases are the result of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), local governments and non-profits. These vehicles, designed and built specifically by the Workhorse Group for the “stop and go” needs of a UPS delivery truck, will avoid the consumption of an estimated 1.1 million gallons of diesel fuel over 20 years.
The DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) 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. Grants offset research and development costs necessary to design and build these prototype vehicles, with the goal being to further the development and eventually lower the cost of low or zero emission commercial vehicles.
The electric trucks operate with electric motors and rechargeable batteries that supply seamless acceleration and regenerative braking, creating a safe, highly efficient vehicle. Delivery of the vehicles began last month and will continue throughout the fall.
“Our goal is to deploy vehicles with the least environmental impact possible in each region, consistent with local regulations and economic conditions,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president global engineering and sustainability. “Support from the DOE, local governments and the non-profit Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) help us to accomplish this goal. We will continue to identify opportunities to drive innovation in our fleet and the marketplace.”
The initiative adds to UPS’s Rolling Laboratory, a fleet of more than 6,430 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide which includes 574 electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
The DOE grant is part of a Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) partnership with CTE to accelerate the introduction and deployment of electric vehicles into the cargo transportation sector. The vehicles are being manufactured by Workhorse Group, Inc., a Cincinnati-based company which manufactures electric drive systems for commercial trucks and can equip them with electric engines.
“Meeting today’s complex clean air challenges requires public-private partnerships,” said Shelley Whitworth, air quality program manager, H-GAC. “These zero emission vehicles will help improve air quality in the Houston-Galveston area.”
“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,” said Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse Group Inc. “This UPS truck is designed from the ground up for local parcel delivery in high density, urban settings. We are honored to work with UPS on these vehicles.”
For more information on UPS's sustainability initiatives, please visit www.ups.com/sustainability.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. UPS is committed to operating more sustainably – for customers, the environment and the communities we serve around the world. Learn more about our efforts at ups.com/sustainability. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
About Workhorse Group Inc.
Previously a division of Navistar, the Workhorse brand along with the Workhorse Union City, IN assembly plant, and network of over 400 dealerships was sold to Workhorse Group Inc. (OTQBB: WKHS) in 2013.
Workhorse Group Inc. manufactures electric drive systems for medium-duty, class 3-6 commercial truck platforms, and can equip its Workhorse chassis with electric, gasoline, propane, or CNG engines. The company is re-entering the RV Chassis market, and will also be building Class A Motorhome chassis at the Workhorse Union City, IN plant. For additional information visit http://www.workhorse.com.
About H-GAC
The Houston-Galveston Area Council is the region-wide voluntary association of local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning region of Texas. Its service area is 12,500 square miles and contains more than six million people. H-GAC's mission is to serve as the instrument of local government cooperation, promoting the region's orderly development and the safety and welfare of its citizens.
About CTE
The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Atlanta, Georgia with West Coast offices in Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. CTE facilitates the rapid development, commercialization, and public acceptance of alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies. Since its founding in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of more than $290 million in federal, state, and local cost-shared research, development, and demonstration projects involving more than 200 organizations in the advanced transportation technology field. CTE has facilitated and leveraged funding for its projects and initiatives from the U.S.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Nov 2, 2015 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET