ATLANTA – UPS recently rolled out a small parcel delivery service in Northern California using 42 electric cars and trucks from ZAP, CNN Money reports. The UPS branch in Petaluma, Calif., has leased an initial fleet of 42 ZAP Xebra electric city cars and trucks for its small parcel deliveries. This is the first time that UPS has used electric city-speed vehicles for this purpose.

Small parcel deliveries are becoming more challenging for the trademark big, brown UPS delivery vans, which is why UPS is using the electric city cars and trucks to handle small parcel deliveries. The ZAP vehicles lessen fuel consumption and reduce automotive emissions produced by current delivery vehicles. Drivers will be monitoring their electrical usage to carefully analyze cost savings and emissions reductions.

According to CNN Money, UPS is setting up strategic distribution nodes where vans can transfer packages to the ZAP Xebras for final delivery in smaller communities, neighborhoods, and downtown areas where larger delivery vans are less efficient and have a more difficult time navigating or parking.

UPS has also placed an order for 167 compressed natural gas (CNG) delivery trucks and taken delivery of 139 new propane delivery trucks in North America.