UPS is to deploy a fleet of 35 electric delivery trucks in London and Paris, working with UK manufacturer Arrival.

UPS will deploy its first Arrival trucks by the end of the year.

The logistics giant, which has 9,000 alternative fuel vehicles in operation worldwide, will have its first purpose-built Arrival vans on fleet by the end of the year. These offer a range of over 150 miles to a charge, better all-round visibility than a conventional van, and feature fatigue-monitoring driver assistance systems, the company said.

It follows UPS announcing last month that it had installed a new charging system featuring static batteries for energy storage at its Camden depot, which could recharge a fleet of 170 electric delivery vehicles without upgrading the power supply from the grid.

Luke Wake, international director for automotive engineering in the advanced technology group at UPS, said: “UPS is marshalling its global scale to encourage innovation within the automotive industry. We are helping to drive demand for these disruptive technologies. The result is a safer and cleaner fleet for the communities in which we deliver.”

Denis Sverdlov, CEO of Arrival, added: “With its unique, wrap-around front window the driver has a much wider field of view that improves not only the safety of the driver but also that of cyclists and pedestrians.”