UPS has launched its first range-extended electric delivery vehicle for initial trials in the UK, developed in collaboration with TEVVA Motors.
The TEVVA approach to extending the range of an electric vehicle is to use small diesel engine acts as a generator to recharge the batteries if they become depleted out on the road. This increases the range of the vehicle, potentially by several hundred kilometres, on top of its normal range of 75km to 100 km without range extension.
Since June 2014, UPS has worked with TEVVA to develop a prototype. “This vehicle highlights our commitment to integrating new technologies into our delivery fleet,” says Peter Harris, sustainability director, UPS Europe. “Finding the best, most responsible fleet solutions to suit our business and serve our customers is an important part of our sustainability strategy.”
The Range Extended Electric Vehicle will first be used in Barking. It will operate in a suburban environment, covering about 100km to 150km per day. The prototype will initially run for 12 months to assess the potential for the vehicle to be used more widely in UPS operations.
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