UPS announced Tuesday a collaboration with Thor Trucks, Inc. to develop and test a fully-electric delivery truck expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
UPS officials said Los Angeles, California, will serve as the trial run site for the class 6 vehicle. UPS will continue to work with a range of providers to test and deploy promising alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles as a means of meeting sustainability goals.
“UPS believes in the future of commercial electric vehicles,” Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS, said. “We want to support the research needed to make advances and the companies developing those innovative products. Performance is critical in our fleet, and we are excited to get this vehicle on the road to test how it handles routes in and around Los Angeles.”
The Thor electric delivery truck will have a driving range of approximately 100 miles, officials said, powered by a Thor-designed and built battery that will be lightweight, durable and allow long-range driving distances.
UPS said the plan of action calls for the medium-duty electric delivery truck to be integrated into its fleet, with the testing regimen slated to include off-road evaluation to address durability, battery capacity, technical integration, engineering and any items found during on-road testing. Depending on the success of the deployment, UPS may make additional purchases of the electric vehicle.