NEW YORK (AP) – Sleek four -wheel strollers look familiar, but even UPS doesn’t know how to exactly describe what could be the latest delivery behemoth method to get to the package doors.
UPS released a battery-powered four-wheel cycle on Tuesday to better move goods on some of the world’s busiest roads and reduce its carbon footprint. The company is working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The slim cars have a golden company logo and include drawings on a dark brown background. But “eQuad” – as the company calls it – has garnered amusement from passersby.
Ian Lagovic had never seen one and came to see it.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said, “but maybe it’s good for the city, isn’t it?”
Mohammad Islam called the car an “interesting thing” and wished the program success.
“Big trucks are always blocking traffic,” he said, “so if they do that, it’s 10x better for everyone.”
The pedal vehicle is delayed by one of the company’s more traditional delivery trucks, circling traffic and sometimes annoying drivers trying to reach the narrow street with parked trucks.
Delivery companies have tried every means to deliver a package, from traditional vans to drones. The company now has more than 1,000 fleets of electric vehicles and thousands more that are not powered by traditional gas engines.
UPS said the test launch is focused on New York and several European cities.
“New York is a challenging city in terms of density,” said Nicole Pillett, director of industrial engineering at UPS. “So if we can be successful here in the city, we’ll see how we can do it in other cities in the United States.”
The company was born in Seattle over a century ago and the first delivery was walking or biking. As the company grew, so did its motorized fleet.
“It’s exactly on my wheel,” said Dyghton Anderson, a 22-year-old UPS supplier and avid cyclist who helps pilot the program. “I’ll work and come back – from the Bronx and up to 43 – so it’s comfortable enough for me.”
Associated Press writer Bobby Cain Calvan contributed to this story.
Source: Huffpost
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