UPS is partnering with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to develop new technology to switch its diesel-fueled delivery vehicles to over to electric power.

The NYSERDA will provide $500,000 to help develop the technology, with the hope that the company will have a production version ready for spring 2018, and that by 2022, they will have switched over up to 1,500 trucks, or 66 percent of the fleet operating in the city.

Unique Electric Solutions is the company that developed the technology behind the conversions, which features a “225kW Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) with a high voltage back bone optimized for the duty cycle of UPS delivery trucks.”

The delivery company hopes that by 2020, one in four of its vehicles will be more electric, hybrid, or alternate-fuel vehicles. The company also says that it presently uses “more than 770 electric or hybrid electric vehicles,” as well as more than 8,500 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide.” It recently partnered with Daimler to use three of its eCanter short-range electric trucks. Converting its present-diesel vehicles will undoubtably help get it closer to that goal.