At the peak of the holiday season, as package deliveries are abundant, UPS has introduced delivery by e-bike. What seems to be an entirely new system of delivery actually comes from noble roots. 109 years ago, when UPS was founded, deliveries were made via bikes. The familiar brown trucks came into use later, and now are known worldwide.
Mark Wallace, UPS Senior Vice President for Global Engineering and Sustainability, announced that e-bike deliveries began in Portland on November 21. UPS in Portland already utilizes bicycles seasonally for deliveries, so it seemed a natural extension to begin using e-bikes there.
E-bike deliveries, especially in congested areas, will cut down on traffic and decrease pollution levels. In addition, the small e-bikes can easily maneuver into and out of smaller spaces. Although far smaller than the traditional UPS truck, the e-bikes can carry a substantial amount of packages. They are designed to operate most efficiently when the rider pedals along with the electric assist device, however can travel without pedaling, as well.
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E-bikes are not entirely new to UPS. They were introduced by UPS in Hamburg, Germany in 2012 as part of a pilot program. The program was so successful that their use in the city has been extended for an additional two years. UPS hopes that the Portland program will be similarly successful, and have stated that they plan to roll out more e-bike deliveries in cities, possibly as early as 2017.
This is not the first venture into greener, alternative delivery solutions for the courier. In fact, UPS has begun using a number of hybrid and biomethane vehicles as part of their fleet. The company has demonstrated a desire to reduce carbon emissions and pollutants through these and other trials. Although it seems that the familiar brown trucks won’t be disappearing anytime soon, these strides are paving the way towards a greener future.
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