Canadian courier Purolator buys more hybrid electric vehicles
Purolator Courier, Canada’s largest courier company has increased its existing order for hybrid electric delivery vans, vehicle manufacturer Azure Dynamics Corp. has announced.
The amended purchase order was placed shortly after the August 8, 2007 funding announcement by the Ontario Government. Ontario is investing CDN$15 million over four years in a pilot project to encourage businesses to convert to more environmentally-friendly technologies, such as hybrid power. The project will help make medium-duty hybrid trucks more affordable for commercial fleet operators.
Over the last two years, Purolator has placed two orders with Azure for a total of 134 HEVs, of which 49 have been delivered and are in service. Under the amended purchase order of August 14, 2007, the courier company increased the order to include an additional 20 HEVs. The remaining 105 HEVs will be supplied on a parallel hybrid-electric Ford E- 450 platform and are due for delivery in the second half of 2008.
“Since introducing Azure’s hybrid-electric vehicles (“HEV”) to our fleet of curb-side delivery vehicles in 2005, we have logged more than 333, 000 kilometres, saving almost 60,000 litres of fuel and preventing the emission of over 150 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert Johnson, President and CEO of Purolator.
