LONDON – UPS said Friday that it is testing a four-wheeled “eQuad” electric cargo bike for delivery in congested urban areas where bicycles have better and easier accessibility. more, to complement the promotion of activity tram.
The package delivery giant is testing about 100 Electric BicycleDesigned and built by British company Fernhay, in seven European markets, and will also launch trials in the US and select Asian markets, said Luke Wake, Vice President of Fleet Engineering and Maintenance of UPS, told Reuters.
UPS said it will also use four-wheel electric bicycles from other manufacturers for testing, but did not disclose the name.
As well as a public pledge to cut back carbon footprintPackage delivery companies are looking for new ways to cut last-mile delivery costs as e-commerce orders skyrocket.
The UPS EQuad has an electrically-assisted top speed of around 25 km/h (15.5 mph) – if you pedal hard, you can go faster – and can transport up to 200 kg (441 lb). lb) package. Its electricity the battery has a range of about 40 miles (64 km), which Wake thinks would be more than enough for urban routes.
This vehicle is only 36 inches (91 cm) wide, so it is legal to use bike lanes and enter pedestrian areas where UPS vehicles and vans can not access. Under normal circumstances, the driver would have to get off the bus, load the packages onto the vehicle and deliver it to the customer.
UPS’ Wake said the Atlanta-based company sees an opportunity to scale bike use in megacities and add to a wider range of vans and vans.
Wake said while demonstrating the eQuad at a UPS package facility in London. “It can also make our operations more efficient at the same time.”
Rivals FedEx and Deutsche Post unit DHL are also testing electric delivery bikes as part of their own zero-emission vehicle scheme.
UPS is working with electric van manufacturers such as British startups Arrival and Tevva, along with US truck manufacturer Xos.
