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New York City has become the world's playground for all things electric—and we're delighted.
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This past week, UPS unveiled its new delivery trucks—a real departure from the automobiles you're used to seeing around town.
The eQuads, as the four-wheelers are called, are actually fully-electric bikes that come with pedals and can go as fast as 15.53 miles per hour. Each charge will guarantee 41 miles of range, more or less (they get plugged into a UPS facility at the end of each day).
Given the fact that the quads are 34 inches wide, they are legally allowed to make use of the city's bike and pedestrian lanes, which is why officials hope they will help cut down traffic jams. The products are also designed to reduce carbon emissions and parking tickets. Regarding that last point: according to the Observer, in 2019 alone, UPS paid $23 million in New York City parking violations, so you can expect the company to save some money moving forward as well.
"We're testing out in New York just based on the blueprint of New York City, and the complexities," said Nicole Pilet, an industrial engineer at UPS, in a video that was shared on Bloomberg. "If we can have success here in the city, then we can see how we implement in other cities throughout the US." To note: the company is also testing the quads in certain European cities like London.
UPS, who has vowed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, took to Twitter to discuss its latest development. "In 1907, we started as a bike messenger service," reads a tweet. "Fast-forward to 2022 and we're rolling out our eQuads to NYC and bringing sustainable deliveries to urban areas." Talk about going back to your roots.
This isn't UPS' first foray into battery-powered vehicles. Back in 2018, the company released the three-wheeled Rytle eBikes that are still in circulation.
Although this is clearly a valiant effort by UPS, New York City's devotion to a carbon-neutral future should also be mentioned in the conversation. Just last week, we reported that giant wind turbines will soon be installed in New York in an effort to help the city generate 70% of its electricity from renewable sources, for example. An all-electric skyscraper that will effectively become JPMorgan Chase's new global headquarters and one the tallest buildings in town is also scheduled to soon be part of our skyline.