FedEx add more hybrid vehicles to fleet
FedEx Express announced it will purchase 51 additional gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles from Azure Dynamics Corporation. The FedEx fleet of hybrid electric and electric vehicles will total 325 when all 51 hybrid step-vans are delivered during November and December of 2009.
Most of the new FedEx gasoline-electric vehicles will be put into service at a Bronx, New York, station, making it the first FedEx all-hybrid facility with about 100 trucks.
“Even during a challenging fiscal year, FedEx has continued to make investments in hybrid electric and electric vehicles a priority because of the long-term value in vehicle technologies that reduce fuel costs and pollution,” said John Formisano, vice president of Global Vehicles, FedEx Express. “FedEx now operates seven different hybrid or electric truck models around the globe, demonstrating that commercial delivery vans can reduce pollution and increase efficiency without any sacrifice in performance and durability.”
“We applaud FedEx for its continuous effort to conserve resources and minimise its environmental impact,” said Scott Harrison, CEO of Azure Dynamics, “and we are delighted that FedEx has again chosen to use Azure’s Balance Hybrid Electric gasoline drive train.”
“The tough driving and delivery conditions of New York City, mainly the stop-and-go-traffic, is an ideal environment to prove that efficient and cleaner transportation technologies are a viable alternative to conventionally equipped trucks,” said Mitch Jackson, director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corp. “FedEx continues to advance clean truck technology, and is pleased that our ongoing leadership enhances the industry’s interest and development of hybrid commercial vehicles.”
With its electric-launch assist, engine-off at idle, and regenerative braking, the FedEx Azure gasoline-electric step-vans are well-suited for the tough start-and-stop conditions endured in the everyday traffic of one of the world’s busiest cities. As a result, FedEx expects a fuel efficiency improvement of 30% while also reducing its carbon footprint.
Twenty FedEx Azure Balance Hybrid Electric gasoline step-vans are already in service across the FedEx Express delivery network in California. Overall, FedEx currently operates 274 hybrid electric and electric vehicles around the globe, and 1,780 alternative fuel vehicles and equipment. The addition of these 51 vehicles takes FedEx to a total of 325 hybrid electric and electric vehicles, and more than 1,800 alternative fuel vehicles and equipment. The FedEx hybrid fleet has logged more than four million miles of revenue service since being introduced in 2004, reducing fuel use by 150,000 gallons and carbon dioxide emissions by 1,521 metric tons.
