Since talking about green package delivery I've found out that UPS has announced that they have ordered 200 hybrid vehicles (HEVs), which is the largest commercial order of these trucks by any company!
"Alternative fuel research and development is just one of the ways that UPS is mitigating climate change risks," said Bob Stoffel, UPS's corporate sustainability officer. "We also are focused on aggressive conservation programs and improving network efficiency to cut fuel use."
UPS's "green fleet" operates in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has traveled nearly 144 million miles since 2000. The fleet includes electric, hybrid electric, CNG, liquefied natural gas and propane-powered vehicles. The company also is continuing work with the Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.
"UPS has been utilizing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years and is clearly the industry leader in hybrid electric and CNG vehicle purchases," said Robert Hall, director of UPS's ground fleet. "At UPS, it's very important to us to demonstrate our commitment with action, which is why we have the largest private 'green' fleet in the industry. And both CNG and HEV vehicles provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions, which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment."
The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. The 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.
Read the full Press Release here
3 comments:
In addition to this, UPS has also switched a majority of it's routes to "right hand" routes. This means that for deliveries, they will arrange the routes so that they make right hand turns onto streets, into parkinglots, etc. This is especially useful in metro areas where you have to wait (and idle) for a left hand turn, either in an intersection, or in a left hand turn lane.
I live in Aliso Viejo now, which is a hub for UPS, so I see a-lot of trucks. I have yet to see a HEV vehicle in Orange County, but hopefully we'll see what brown can do out here soon.
intersting! thanks for sharing that info
UPS should also be applauded for operating the transportation industry's largest private fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles. Earlier this year, they announced the deployment of 167 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) delivery vehicles in Texas, Georgia, and California.
Vehicles (especially fleets) that operate on natural gas help reduce harmful greenhouse gases while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. UPS trucks are expected to reduce emissions by 20 percent and improve fuel economy by 10 percent compared to the cleanest diesel engines available today.
Natural gas is our nation's best keep secret and the only sound bridge to a sustainable future. Hats off to UPS for leading the pack!
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