UPS and DHL Express have expanded their fleets of eco-friendly vehicles in the USA while the USPostal Service has reduced its energy use by 25%, the three operators announced separately at the
start of the US National Energy Action Month during October 2012.Expecting a potential improvement of up to 35% in fuel economy and up to 30% in CO2 emissions,UPS has announced the deployment of 40 new hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs) with 20 trucks to beoperating in Baltimore and Atlanta respectively. Developed by Freightliner Custom ChassisCorporation (FCCC) and Parker Hannifin Corporation, the package cars are much more fuel-efficientcompared to traditional diesel-powered vehicles that use automatic transmissions in stop-and-goapplications.
The HHVs operate on two power sources including a fuel-efficient diesel combustion engine andadvanced series hydraulic hybrid. Energy created by the vehicle’s continued braking action isstored in the HHV’s hydraulic high-pressure accumulator, similar to what is done with electricmotors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle. The HHV has a function to turn off the engineand drive the vehicle using the stored energy to propel the vehicle. This engine-off strategy canreduce up to 90 minutes of engine run time on a typical route. The vehicles are best suited forurban routes, which typically involve frequent stopping and starting.
The HHVs in Baltimore will start operating with immediate effect while the vehicles in Atlantawill be introduced before the end of 2012. UPS currently has one HHV in operation in Laguna Hills,California, and has been working closely with manufacturers to develop and test HHV technologysince 2006.
“Our long-term goal is to minimise our dependence on foreign energy and one way we will getthere is through the deployment of a wide variety of technologies and designs in our fleet,” MikeBritt, UPS director of alternative fuel vehicle engineering, stated. “As early adopters of thistechnology, we are very pleased with the significant fuel economy and emission reductions that comefrom the HHVs.”
UPS currently operates 2,593 vehicles powered by alternative fuels or technology, includinghybrid electric, electric, liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, bio-methane andpropane-powered vehicles.
Separately, DHL Express USA is rolling out a new fleet of 100 pickups and delivery vans fuelledwith propane autogas which will be deployed in Florida, California, Georgia, Missouri and Texasfrom this week onwards. The new Ford E-250 cargo vans, each equipped with a Roush CleanTech liquidpropane fuel system, are expected to lower the company’s carbon footprint while beingcost-effective.
“Customers in the USA and worldwide are increasingly demanding greener logistics and sustainablebusiness procedures,” DHL Express US CEO Ian Clough said.
The company already uses some propane vehicles in Ohio, Tennessee and Louisiana as part ofDeutsche Post DHL’s GoGreen programme and its target to improve the company’s worldwide carbonefficiency 30% by 2020, using 2007 levels as a baseline. Each alternative fuel vehicle saves morethan 22,587 pounds of CO2 emissions each year.
Meanwhile, USPS said it has reduced its energy use by over 25% since 2003 which equals theaverage annual energy use of approximately 90,000 US households. Marking the National Energy ActionMonth, the US postal operator attributed the energy and cost saving to a great extent to variousactions taken by its postal employees such as the GO Green stamps. In July, the company alsoreported a 7.4% decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions since 2008.
“Think globally, lead locally is this year’s National Energy Action Month theme,” Thomas G. Day,USPS Chief Sustainability Officer, said. “Applied to their daily activities, postal employeesconserve resources, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.” In 2011, the Lean Green teamshelped USPS save $22 million on more than 1,000 facility energy reduction projects implementinglow- and no-cost ways to conserve energy and reduce costs.
