UPS plans to power up 100 new electric delivery vans in California early in 2012, replacing legacy diesel trucks and saving 126,000 gallons of fuel a year. The new brown beauties are built by Electric Vehicles International (EVI), a Stockton, California firm that’s been making commercial vehicles for 20 years.

EVI’s walk-in van comes in several configurations. It’s powered by a 200-kW electric motor from Colorado-based UQM Technologies, which is designed specifically for commercial applications, and gives the van a top speed of 62 mph and a range of up to 90 miles.

“We’re very pleased that UPS has selected the all-electric EVI delivery van for the expansion of its all-electric delivery van fleet program,” said Eric Ridenour, UQM Technologies CEO. “The expansion of our business with EVI into UPS vehicles represents a significant deployment of our higher power propulsion systems in the medium-duty commercial truck market and will drive revenue growth in this important segment.”

Image: Electric Vehicles International