Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) has delivered two all-electric MT E-Cell walk-in vans to UPS. The carrier will deploy the zero-emissions vehicles in its fleet in Laguna Hills, Calif. UPS also operates FCCC hybrid-electric, compressed natural gas (CNG), gasoline and clean diesel chassis.
“The addition of the MT E-Cell to the UPS fleet is a powerful validation of both the technology and this vehicle’s reliability and durability in the most demanding real-world applications,” said Mike Stark, FCCC senior technical sales manager, national accounts. “Our all-electric vehicle chassis technology will help UPS meet its environmental goals.”
Built on FCCC’s MT-45 chassis, with a gross vehicle weight rating up to 15,000 lbs., the MT E-Cell features an all-electric single speed drive motor powered by lithium-ion batteries offering 55.5 kilowatt hours of usable energy for a driving range of up to 90 mi. per charge. The system recharges through a standard 30 amp, 220-volt outlet and requires six to eight hours to fully recharge from a completely discharged state.
“After promising results with the prototype all-electric vehicle, we are looking forward to getting similar production with these vehicles making real deliveries to our customers every day,” said Mike Britt, UPS’s director of maintenance and engineering international operations ground fleet. “Continuing to invest in fuel-efficient technology is a part of our overall environmental strategy.”
The MT E-Cell is fitted with a Morgan Olson body constructed of fully recyclable composite panels and has an all-aluminum floor, making the 700-cu.-ft. capacity body 500 lbs. lighter than a conventional walk-in van design.
