UPS announced a collaboration with Thor Trucks to develop and test a fully-electric Class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles, California. The truck is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
UPS works with a range of companies to test and deploy alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The Thor electric delivery truck is expected to have a driving range of approximately 100 miles powered by a Thor-designed and built battery.
“UPS believes in the future of commercial electric vehicles. We want to support the research needed to make advances and the companies developing those innovative products,” said Carlton Rose, president, global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “Performance is critical in our fleet. We are excited to get this vehicle on the road to test how it handles routes in and around Los Angeles.”
For six months, UPS will test the medium duty electric delivery truck as part of its fleet. Testing will 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.
“We’re excited about working with a forward-thinking company like UPS, particularly as our first collaboration,” said Dakota Semler, co-founder and CEO of Thor Trucks. “UPS is committed to sustainability and operates one of the most well-respected and complex fleets in the country. This is also an incredibly valuable opportunity to gain insight into what it will take to fulfill our mission of getting entire electric fleets on the road.”
UPS works with a wide array of manufacturers including ARRIVAL, Daimler, Tesla, Thor, Workhorse and others. UPS deploys about 9,300 low-emission vehicles to determine which technology works best in each route configuration. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane.
