UPS to buy plastic-bodied trucks

By: admin
On: 10/07/2012 10:06:36
In: Parcel Delivery Service
Comments: 0

The courier firm, UPS, has said that it is to buy 150 plastic-bodied trucks before the end of the year with a view to testing them for possible wider use. The CV-23 trucks from Utilimaster and Isuzu are said to provide a 40 per cent increase in fuel efficiency due to the substantial weight savings.

The firm has already tested five such vehicles, which were used in five different US states for a year and clearly believes a more substantial trial is warranted. They have apparently been reliable in all conditions, including the Arizona desert and the harsh New York winter.

They provide 630 cubic feet of storage space, compared to around 700 for conventional UPS trucks, but being 409kg lighter, they can make use of a much smaller engine – specifically a 150bhp four-cylinder from Isuzu.

A company statement read:

“As a result of the testing, UPS has become even more comfortable with composite material and will consider adding more composite components into larger vehicle types to reduce vehicle weight.”

One unexpected benefit of the plastic for UPS is that it is brown when cast, meaning it does not need repainting when scratched.