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UPS reserves 125 Semis

Posted on 19 December, 2017

UPS, which operates one of the largest commercial trucking fleets in the world,  said on Tuesday it is buying 125 Tesla all-electric semi-trucks. This is the largest known order for the trucks so far. “For more than a century, UPS has led the industry in testing and implementing new technologies for more efficient fleet operations. We look forward to expanding further our commitment to fleet excellence with Tesla,” said Juan Perez, chief information and engineering officer. “These groundbreaking electric tractors [trucks] are poised to usher in a new era in improved safety, reduced environmental impact, and reduced cost of ownership.” UPS has provided Tesla real-world UPS trucking lane information as part of the company’s evaluation of the vehicle’s expected performance for the UPS duty cycle. UPS frequently partners with suppliers of emerging vehicle technologies to help them develop solutions that prove ready for stringent UPS use-cases. UPS has established a goal for 25 per cent of the electricity it consumes to come from renewable energy sources by 2025. In addition, by 2020 UPS plans that one in four new vehicles purchased annually will be an alternative fuel or advanced technology vehicle, up from 16 percent in 2016. The electric truck also has some pretty impressive features, the Semi can achieve 0-100 kmh in five seconds, compared to 15 seconds in a comparable diesel truck. It does 0-100 kmh in 20 seconds with a full 80,000-pound load, a task that usually takes a diesel truck about a minute. While some are sceptical of Tesla's ability to break into the trucking industry, UPS joins the likes of Pepsi and Walmart as early customers for Tesla’s new electric trucks. Walmart was one of the first companies to reserve the trucks, the retailer has made significant investments in technology as of late due to its effort to compete with Amazon and Pepsi previously had the largest Semi order, reserving 100 trucks in December.