UPS has deployed these 100 electric trucks in areas in Sacramento, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, and Fresno. Thanks to the 75-mile range from a single charge, the 100 trucks are said to help cut down diesel fuel use by about 126,000 gallons per year. In total, UPS operates over 2,500 alternative fuel vehicles in the US.

However, UPS isn’t the only package delivery company that’s deploying electric vehicles. Last year, Federal Express said that it was more than doubling its all-electric fleet to 43 vehicles. That’s certainly not as many as UPS has, but we definitely have to give anyone willing to switch to eco-friendly vehicles an “A” for effort.

It’s not said exactly when UPS or FedEx may switch full-time to electric trucks, but given that UPS already has 2,500 of them, it shouldn’t take long until the company replaces their entire diesel fleet. However, electric vehicles are still in their infancy, so it may take a while until we see them hit the road in larger quantities.

[via Autoblog]

Image via Flickr

According to documents filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, GM is recalling the mid-size trucks because the hood may be missing a secondary hood latch, so if the primary latch is not engaged the hood could open and block the driver’s view, thus increasing the risk of an accident.

Luckily, there haven’t been any reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue, and there are only four known cases of the secondary hood latch actually missing, but as with any recall, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and GM is asking those 145,000 affected to bring their truck in for an inspection.

GM said they’ll be notifying owners and instructing them to either inspect their trucks themselves (since it’s an easy inspection compared to most other recalls), or take the truck to a GM dealer for a free inspection. If inspectors discover that the secondary latch is missing, a new hood will be installed for free. GM expects to begin mailing letters to owners on January 17.

[via Reuters]

Image via Flickr

Ford and EnerSys teamed up with Bigfoot and outfitted the monster truck with 36 EnerSys batteries, as well as a 350HP electric motor, and has claimed to be the first ones to build the first proper EV monster truck. The result is a much quieter car-crushing machine, which takes away a little of the fun, since half of the entertainment is listening to those crazy-loud engines.

The video shows the new all-electric Bigfoot in action, and while it does appear that it doesn’t have quite the torque of a true gasoline-powered monster truck, it still has the same crushing power thanks to the immensely-large tires and the weight of those 36 batteries. And while the truck isn’t completely silent, you have to admit that it doesn’t make a lot of noise compared to traditional monster trucks.

In all, the truck’s 36 batteries add an extra 1,375 pounds, and while the system includes on-board battery chargers, there is no word on how long such a job would take, or how long the batteries last on a single charge. Don’t expect this new monster truck to be in competitions anytime soon — it’s mostly just for show for the time being.

Upon first glance, you’ll probably notice a familiar, yet slightly upgraded look to the headlights and grille. It’s very similar to the last generation, where the headlights are still relatively square-shaped, and the grille is basically one large rectangle with thick chrome trimming, but the headlights on the new Sierra have upgraded to LEDs, as well as holding in regular lamps.

However, one of the biggest changes is the interior, with a new steering wheel and a redesigned dashboard and center console. One of the biggest game changers, though, is that these new trucks will come with heated cloth seats, and it’ll be the first time that a pickup truck will come with this option, according to GM.

The Silverado will have two V8 engines to choose from (a 5.3 and 6.2 liter), and a brand new 4.3-Liter V6 that’s based on the V8 motor. There are no turbochargers or anything too fancy, but they do have cylinder deactivation and direct injection to maximize fuel economy — similar to what last-generation GM trucks have.

This is all connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, and GM is estimating around 17 MPG combined as far as fuel economy is concerned. This isn’t too stellar overall, but it’s certainly not bad for a HD pickup truck. If you’re wondering about power ratings, they aren’t out yet, but we’d expect improvements across the board.

That’s not the case anymore and the 2013 Ford F-150 V6 is proof of that. Ford has claimed the towing capacity crown for entry-level V6 pickup trucks with the new 2013 F-150 powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine producing 302 HP. The truck has a rated towing capacity of 6700 pounds.

The 13 model is rated for 600 pounds more than the 2012 model. Ford up the towing capacity by 600 pounds after analyzing data collected in real-world use of the truck. The new 6700-pound towing capacity is 200 pounds higher than the V6 powered Ram 1500.

The 2013 F-150 can tow 1800 pounds more than the V6-powered Toyota Tundra. The towing capacity of the new Ford truck is also significantly higher than the entry-level Chevrolet Silverado truck. The V6 Ford tows 1300 pounds more than the V6 Chevrolet. The F-150 is also rated for fuel economy of 23 mpg on the highway.

[via Fox News]