UK Power Networks Services ‘smart charges’ UPS’ EVs

Delivery firm UPS will have its central London delivery fleet powered by a new electric vehicle (EV) “smart charging” system from UK Power Networks Services.

Charging large numbers of UPS’ freight vehicles simultaneously puts “significant demand” on the depot’s electricity supply. But the new smart charging solution will enable UPS to increase the number of 7.5-tonne electric trucks operating from its London site from 65 to 170.

The solution combines an Active Network Management system with battery storage, ensuring the depot’s electricity demand will not exceed the network’s limit. The move is believed to be a “world-first” on such a scale. It will also prevent the need for significant investment in network electrical infrastructure.

Ian Smyth, director of UK Power Networks Services said it was “paving the way for future electrification of delivery vehicles in our cities.”

“This project will deliver a huge impact on improving the air quality for Londoners and contribute to UPS’s legacy of sustainability,” he said.

Peter Harris, director of sustainability, UPS Europe, added: “UPS thinks this is a world first, right in the heart of a mega-city. We are using new technology to work around some big obstacles to electric vehicle deployment, heralding a new generation of sustainable urban delivery services both here in London and in other major cities around the world.

“Electric vehicles are an integral component within UPS’s alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. Our collaboration with UK Power Networks and Cross River Partnership marks a major turning point in the cost-effective deployment of electric vehicles which in turn will play a key role in ensuring the global trend toward urbanisation is sustainable. We are applying new technology to make the charging process smarter and our delivery service cleaner.”

Delphine Clement, mobility segment leader EMEA at Eaton described the news as an “encouraging step” towards a low carbon economy.

But she stressed if the same progress is to be made at a national level, “then we need to tackle the charging infrastructure changes needed”.

“Looking to the future, industry leaders must think much more about how to work closely with the likes of major supermarkets and petrol stations to ensure sufficient charging points are installed throughout the UK and Europe,” she said.

Freight vehicles make up a fifth of traffic in London. The mayor of London’s draft Transport Strategy highlights how distribution centres in inner and central London, from where deliveries will be made by low and zero emission vehicles, will form part of the solution toward a zero-emission transport system in London by 2050.