E-vehicle firms announce fleet contracts

BOULDER – Two area companies in the electric vehicle industry have announced sizeable deals to build vehicle components for commercial fleets.

UQM Technologies Inc., a company based in Weld County just outside Longmont, announced Tuesday it received an order for 100 electric propulsion systems that will power all-electric UPS delivery vans.

Boulder Electric Vehicle Inc., which is based in Louisville, announced its first sale of an electric cargo van to Boulder-based Precision Plumbing and Heating.

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Precision has committed to purchasing 20 vehicles for its fleet at a cost of $1.4 million, a press release from Precision said.

“This is the future and everyone needs to do their part with energy conservation. There is no reason why a plumber can’t lead the way and set the example,” Precision owner and president Tom Robichaud said in the release.

The vans for UPS will be built by Electric Vehicles International LLC, a Stockton, California-based company that builds medium-duty trucks and walk-in vans.

“We’re very pleased that UPS has selected the all-electric EVI delivery van for the expansion of its all-electric delivery van fleet program,´ said Eric Ridenour, UQM Technologies president and chief executive, in a press release. “The expansion of our business with EVI into UPS vehicles represents a significant deployment of our higher power propulsion systems in the medium-duty commercial truck market and will drive revenue growth in this important segment.”

The vehicles will replace diesel trucks in California in early 2012 and is the largest single deployment of zero tailpipe emission delivery vehicles in the state, according to UPS. UPS estimates that the use of these vehicles will displace 126,000 gallons of fuel a year that would have been burned running diesel trucks.