---
title: "UPS Teams up with Startup Thor Trucks on Electric Delivery Vehicles"
description: "UPS will test an electric delivery vehicle from startup Thor Trucks and may place an order if things go well."
date: "2018-08-01"
modified: "2018-08-01"
authors:
  - name: "Stephen Edelstein"
    job_title: "Weekend Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/22556/ups-teams-up-with-startup-thor-trucks-on-electric-delivery-vehicles"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "Commercial Vehicles"
  - "Electric Trucks"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Startups"
  - "Tech"
  - "Thor Trucks"
  - "ups"
---

# UPS Teams up with Startup Thor Trucks on Electric Delivery Vehicles

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/08/mobile0c9a66_assets_img_media_wilshire_boulevard_at_hope_street_downtown_los_angeles_california_high.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

UPS will test a prototype electric delivery truck from Los Angeles-based startup Thor Trucks later this year. If testing goes well, UPS may order additional vehicles from Thor, augmenting a growing fleet of alternative-energy vehicles.

The Thor truck will have a range of 100 miles, and will be deployed in UPS' delivery fleet for six months to evaluate its performance, a UPS press release said. In addition to regular delivery service, the test program will include "off-road evaluation to address durability, battery capacity, technical integration, engineering, and any items found during on-road testing," UPS said. "Depending on the success of the deployment, UPS may make additional purchases of the electric vehicle."

Thor Trucks made headlines late last year when it unveiled [the ET-One](<https://www.thortrucks.com/et-one/>), an electric semi truck seemingly aimed at the much-discussed Tesla Semi ([which UPS has placed orders for](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/17081/brown-goes-green-as-ups-orders-125-tesla-semis>)). When it revealed the ET-One in December 2017, Thor promised a 300-mile range and a price tag of $150,000. The UPS delivery truck may not be as glamorous as the Tesla-baiting ET-One, but it may be a safer bet. Delivery trucks operate on relatively short, predictable routes that never take them far from a central terminal, so range and charging infrastructure are less of a concern.

Thor is the second startup UPS has tapped to help electrify its fleet. In February, the company announced that it would [buy 50 electric vans from Workhorse](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/18704/ups-adding-workhorse-electric-vans-to-its-delivery-fleet>). The vans will be built to a design specified by UPS, and the company may place a larger follow-up order at a later date. UPS was also the first U.S. customer for Daimler's Fuso eCanter electric box truck.

UPS previously said that it had 300 all-electric and 700 hybrid vehicles in its U.S. and European fleets. The company also operates a handful of natural gas and propane-powered vehicles in the U.S.

Electric commercial trucks are starting to gain traction. In addition to the Fuso eCanter, Daimler has unveiled electric trucks under its Mercedes-Benz [and Freightliner brands](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/21854/freightliner-deploys-test-fleet-of-30-electric-trucks-with-us-customers>). Volvo Trucks (a separate entity from the automaker) is planning a production electric as well, while startup Nikola Motors [plans to take on Tesla](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20626/tesla-rival-nikola-lands-semi-truck-deal-with-king-of-beers-anheuser-busch>) with a hydrogen fuel-cell semi.

## Author
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/SAEdelstein>)