UPS has ordered 12 electric vans from British manufacturer Modec in a move to expand its green fleets. The zero-emission vans will operate out of UPS’s Camden site, located within London’s Low Emission Zone.
The order follows a successful nine-month trial in London earlier this year, where the van averaged 18 miles per day and a battery consumption of 25 per cent of full charge per day during the course of its operations.
Each van can undertake 100 miles on one overnight charge, with batteries in future models set to increase the range to 150 miles per two-three hour charge. Because it is electric-powered, it requires no road tax, MOT or tachograph and is not liable for the congestion charge.
UPS currently operates the transport industry’s largest private fleet of alternative fuel vans, and will introduce six of the new vans into the UK fleet in February next year, and the other six will go to Germany.
Jim Barber, managing director, UPS UK and Ireland, said: “This order represents an important step towards making our fleet and operations more sustainable in the UK. At UPS, we have an ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, and we are continually assessing how to make the best use of alternatively fuelled vans on a global level.”
