UPS continues electric vehicle push with Gaussin ‘shifters’ test

While company initiatives around the globe are stuck in neutral during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, UPS is charging forward on a piece of its green energy strategy.

United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) said it’s testing the suitability and durability of Gaussin electric vehicles, known as “shifters,” which have autonomous driving capability, to move semi-trailers and containers on the grounds of UPS’s advanced-technology London Hub.

Gaussin SA, a French engineering company, and UPS have been collaborating since 2018 to co-develop a competitive electric shifter vehicle. UPS says Gaussin electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions and include “novel battery-swap technology,” where discharged battery packs can immediately be replaced by fully charged ones.