USPS has funds sufficient for fleet renewal, CFO tells Congress
The US Postal Service “cannot wait any longer” to replace its aging vehicle fleet, its chief financial officer told Congress yesterday.
Read MoreTag: Commercial Vehicles
TNT Post UK diversifies into vehicle maintenance business
TNT Post UK has re-opened a vehicle maintenance unit at its 120,000 square foot depot in Rugby, central England, to service its own vehicles and those of other firms.
Read MoreUPS tests out plastic trucks in bid to boost fuel efficiency
UPS is now testing five new delivery vehicles made using plastic bodywork, which it hopes could help pave the way towards a more fuel-efficient fleet.
Read MoreJapan Post to use only electric cars by '15
Japan Post Service Co., which belongs to Japan Post Holdings Co., announced Monday that it is planning to gradually introduce electric cars to replace and eventually phase out its current fleet of automobiles over the next eight years to help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
The company owns about 22,000 lightfreight cars that are used to deliver mail and about 1,000 passenger cars that are used for business purposes. It has already adopted some hybrid cars as part of its fleet.
The company’s gasoline costs total about 10 billion yen a year. By incorporating more hybrid cars as part of its fleet the company expects to reduce gasoline costs.
Japan Post said the change to electric cars will be a good fit for short-distance deliveries and business use, due to battery technology advancements. Currently, the company has called for several automakers to become involved in the development of battery operated cars and also approached them to develop battery operated bikes.
It will be necessary for the company to provide recharging points for the vehicles at 1,092 post offices across the country.
Read MoreTNT delivers world's largest zero emissions fleet (UK)
TNT launched the world’s largest fleet of zero emission vehicles, enabling it to reduce its carbon footprint by 1.3 million kg of CO² a year.
TNT’s new 100-strong fleet of unique battery-powered ‘Newton’ style delivery trucks will replace diesel equivalents over the next 18 months. The amount of CO² saved by the environmentally-friendly 7.5 tonne lorries will be enough to fill Wembley Stadium.
The Newton models, manufactured by Smith Electric Vehicles in Tyne and Wear, are the first ever pure electric vehicles in their class that can compete in performance terms with diesel equivalents and, at the same time, deliver a 100 pct reduction in CO² emissions and exhaust air pollutants at the point of use.
The first tranche of 50 trucks will initially operate from TNT locations in London, Basildon, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Enfield, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Luton, Northampton, Oxford, Paisley, Preston and Wolverhampton. In addition, TNT is also piloting other Smith Electric battery powered vans and trucks in the Netherlands, with a view to rolling them out across its wider European operations.
In 2007, TNT topped the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index achieving an overall rating of 91 out of a possible 100 – the highest recorded score of any company on the DJSI. The feat was all the more remarkable given the nature of TNT’s business.
TNT Express Services, in partnership with vehicle manufacturers, Smith Electric Vehicles, is unveiling the first trucks in the GBP 7 million ‘green fleet’ at the London Wetland Centre.
Read MorePost & Parcel Magazine
Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.