UPS has co-developed 15 7.5-tonne range-extended electric vehicles (REEV) with TEVVA, five of which operate from depots in Southampton, and 10 from Tamworth. The collaboration aims to address the range limitations of so-called ‘pure electric vehicles’.
All are fitted with a 23cu m steel box-bodies, which UPS claims should maintain the operational efficiency while avoiding the need for large numbers of smaller capacity EVs.
The REEVs utilise a small diesel engine as part of a hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 150kW electric motor that can provide up to 2,000Nm of torque. One lithium ion 74kWh battery adds an additional 100km of range to the 300km. As a result the total combined range of the diesel hybrid REEVs is a claimed average of 400km in comparison to an average of 100km achieved by conventional EVs. The latter is “often not far enough to reach urban drop-off points”, said UPS.
Director of automotive engineering and advanced technology at UPS Luke Wake, said the range jump is the result of the latest collaboration, which means “we can serve our customers with lower emission, alternatively-fuelled vehicles in places beyond the reach of existing pure electric vehicles at this weight”.
The new vehicles will help towards lowering the shipping and logistics company’s emissions as commercial director of TEVVA Motors Richard Lidstone-Scott explained: “Commercial vehicles account for 27% of transport related C02 and 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions on Europe’s roads. EU legislation says that this needs to be cut by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030, and net zero in the UK by 2050.”
To see other urban innovations like this, be sure to visit the Freight in The City event at the Alexandra Palace in London on the 6 November!
