Milestone for Fedex fleet of hybrid trucks

The vehicles have saved about 315,000 litres of fuel and eliminated 950 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions. The hybrid trucks improve fuel economy by 42 per cent, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by about 30 per cent and cut particulate pollution by 96 per cent. FedEx is also expanding its commitment to clean vehicle technology by placing 75 more hybrid vehicles into service in the United States and Europe.

FedEx will now operate more than 170 hybrid vehicles around the globe, including the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in North America, which comprise nearly one-third of the deployed North American hybrid market.

First in its industry to introduce hybrid vans into its fleet, FedEx now works with a diverse group of manufacturers, including Eaton, Isuzu and Iveco. FedEx will also purchase 20 vehicles that use an Azure Dynamic hybrid system and Ford petrol engine and chassis, representing one of the first petrol hybrid-electric delivery trucks in commercial use.

"Two million miles of FedEx service is a significant milestone for hybrid vehicles," Mitch Jackson, director of environmental affairs and sustainability at FedEx Corp, said recently.

"FedEx continues to work to advance clean truck technology. We now need the collective leadership of business, non-profit and government to make cleaner delivery vehicle technology widely available. It's time for the truck manufacturing industry to create its version of the Prius - clean, affordable and widely available for truck fleets."

John Formisano, vice president of global vehicles for FedEx Express, said FedEx had been very happy with the operational and environmental performance of the hybrids.

"We continue to look for opportunities to introduce more fuel-efficient vehicle models, including hybrids, into our fleet," he said.

Today's developments are the latest steps in the ongoing efforts by FedEx and Environmental Defence Fund (EDF) to support the clean-technology truck market, which has grown to include more than 30 fleets in North America.

"FedEx leadership has helped to make hybrid truck technology a reality," said Gwen Ruta, EDF's vice president for corporate partnerships.

"There is tremendous momentum in the hybrid truck market today, with more trucks on the road and more companies buying hybrids every day. The FedEx and EDF collaboration jump-started this market transformation. We demonstrated that the trucks work in the real world and that they can slash both greenhouse-gas emissions and fuel costs."

In 2000, FedEx and EDF began working together to develop the next-generation delivery vehicle. Three years later, the two organisations worked with Eaton and Freightliner Custom Chassis to introduce the first available commercial hybrid delivery truck into service. The project has been recognised by the Environmental Protection Agency, Harvard University and WestSTART-CALSTART for its role in spurring hybrid truck advancements.

Throughout this time, FedEx and EDF have worked together to encourage more companies to purchase and develop clean-technology trucks. FedEx and EDF have also been advocates for additional government incentives at the national, state and local levels to offset the higher capital costs of cleaner vehicles while the market is developing.

FedEx is the only transportation company to publicly call for fuel-efficiency standards for commercial medium and heavy-duty truck classes that will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce fuel consumption. The company has also championed the need for a small, fuel-efficient engine for application in hybrid vehicles following the 2007 EPA federal engine standard.