UPS has ordered 950 N-GEN electric delivery vehicles from Workhorse, the American technology company headquartered in Loveland, Ohio. The 950 new N-GEN vans will join the 50 vehicles previously delivered to UPS, bringing the total order to 1,000. They have been designed from the ground up to meet UPS’s exacting standards, including driver comfort and safety. The N-GEN van from Workhorse is the first all electric vehicle to be price competitively with conventional delivery vans without the need for tax credits, rebates or other incentives — a first for an electric van in the industry.
UPS has a strong corporate commitment to reducing its global carbon footprint. “Electric vehicle technology is rapidly improving with battery, charging and smart grid advances that allow us to specify our delivery vehicles to eliminate emissions, noise and dependence on diesel and gasoline,” says Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “With our scale and real-world duty cycles, these new electric trucks will be a quantum leap forward for the purpose-built UPS delivery fleet. The all electric trucks will deliver by day and re-charge overnight. We are uniquely positioned to work with our partners, communities and customers to transform freight transportation.”
In an e-mail, a spokesperson for Workhorse told CleanTechnica,
“We designed this vehicle from the ground-up to be the safest, most efficient, highest performing last mile delivery system available. The vehicle is 14,500 GVWR, with up to 6,700 lbs of payload due to the lightweight, durable composite body design. The vehicle has a low floor height, which is optimal for last-mile delivery driver ergonomics, who enter and exit the vehicle 150+ times per day.
“The estimated range is 100 miles, or equivalent to 50 MPGe, compared with 7 mpg on average for a comparable delivery van. Standard charging options will include both Level 2 for overnight charging (approximately 6 hours), and DC fast charge (CCS standard) for opportunity charging (approximately 75 minutes). And finally, we have incorporated state-of-the-art safety features, including automatic braking, lane departure warning, a driver’s side airbag.”
Deliveries to UPS are expected to begin this fall. The N-GEN van comes in two configurations — a 10,000 GVWR version with 450 cubic feet of cargo capacity, and a 14,500 GVWR version with 1,000 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Workhorse has selected Ryder to be its exclusive service and maintenance partner. Ryder has more than 800 locations and 35,000 service technicians in North America
Both versions of the N-GEN electric delivery van will be available with the company’s proprietary HorseFly autonomous delivery drone as an option. The HorseFly is currently undergoing field tests in Loveland, Ohio. Fleet customers can pre-order the 10,000 GVWR N-GEN van now. Speaking of pre-orders, private customers can now reserve one of the company’s W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup trucks by visiting the company’s website. The rugged W-15 was designed with commercial customers in mind and comes ready to work, including auxiliary outlets to provide electricity for power tools at remote work sites.
Workhorse is one of several companies competing to supply the US Postal Service with its Next Generation Delivery Vehicles. USPS is currently testing prototypes and is expected to announce its selection later this year. Landing that contract would be a major coup for the company and make it the leading US manufacturer of electric delivery vehicles.
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