Global logistics firm UPS has announced the launch of its first off-grid powered delivery vehicles at Expo 2020, in partnership with ports operator DP World.

Two vans by UK electric vehicles manufacturer Arrival will traverse the expo site over the next six months, powered by a specialised solar technology charging system located at the DP World pavilion.

"[This] represents an ongoing transformation of the logistics sector," said Abdulla bin Damithan, CEO and managing director of DP World – UAE region and Jafza, at a press event.

"[These vehicles] will complement our existing solutions such as Boxbay, automated container handling facility, etc."

UPS International president Scott Price said the firm had ordered 10,000 such vehicles for global operations, but did not specify where these would be deployed.

Arrival's vehicles are made of proprietary composite materials that are 50 per cent lighter than steel and are recyclable and reusable.

The vehicles are manufactured in local micro-factories, enabling the use of existing warehouses rather than dedicated automobile factories. Arrival currently has four such micro-factories, in North Carolina and South Carolina in the US, Bicester in the UK and Madrid, Spain.

Arrival is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, and has seen investments from firms including UPS, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation.

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