UPS to buy 150 plastic vehicles

UPS has ordered 150 thermoplastic vehicles to replace some of its aluminum trucks, expanding a five-car pilot program that concluded in April.

The Sandy Springs company said the lighter-weight vehicles are still being tested, but that the five in the field showed fuel savings of 40 percent in a year compared to a traditional package vehicle. The vehicles weigh roughly 900 lbs. less than traditional vehicles.

UPS spokeswoman Lynnette McIntire would not disclose the cost of the composite vehicles, as they are called, but said they were roughly the same as their traditional counterparts.

McIntire said the vehicles are still being tweaked, and UPS will also continue experimenting with alternative fuels. The composite cars run on diesel.

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