Although the sleek, four-wheeled carts may look familiar, UPS doesn’t know how to describe this latest delivery method.
UPS has unveiled Tuesday a four-wheeled, battery-powered cycle that can haul cargo on some of the most congestion-prone streets in the world and reduce its carbon footprint. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
These vehicles, which look like delivery trucks, feature the company’s trademark brown and gold logo. The “eQuad”, as the company calls them, was a hit with passersby.
It’s all here! #UPS eBikes are on the streets of Manhattan as part of a pilot program to deliver UPS @fernhayeQuad. This electric cargo bike allows for #sustainable delivery in urban areas. Full circle for 100+ yr company that started as a bike messenger service. pic.twitter.com/HLRd8Cbg5g
Ian Lagowitz hadn’t seen one before and went over to take a closer look.
He said that it was funny looking, but that it was probably good for the city.
Mohammad Islam called it “cool stuff” and wished it well.
He said that big trucks block traffic and it is 10 times better for everyone if they do this kind of thing.”
The company’s traditional delivery trucks were larger than the pedal-powered vehicle. They rumble through traffic and often draw the ire from motorists trying to pass parked trucks on narrow streets.
Delivery companies have tried many different ways to deliver packages, from traditional vans to drones. The company now owns more than 1000 electric vehicles, and many more that don’t use traditional gas engines.
UPS stated that a trial run will be conducted in New York City as well as in other European cities.
Nicole Pilet, UPS’ industrial engineering director, said that New York is complex because of its density. “So, if we have success in New York City, then we will be able to see how we implement elsewhere in the U.S.”
More than 100 years ago, the company was founded in Seattle. The first deliveries were made on foot or by bicycle. The company’s motorized fleet grew with it.
Dyghton, a 22 year-old UPS delivery man and avid cyclist, said that the program is “right in my wheelhouse.” “I ride to work, from all the Bronx to here on 43rd. It’s very comfortable for me.”
UPS announced the pilot program via Twitter. It said that it was a complete circle since its origins as a bicycle messenger service over 100 years ago.
Fernhay Partners is UPS’s partner. Fernhay Partners is a van-free logistics company that provides sustainable last-mile transportation solutions to cities around the globe, such as the vehicles UPS is testing.