FedEx Hybrid-Electric Truck Fleet Surpasses Two-Million-Mile Mark
28 April 2008
FedEx Corp.’s existing hybrid-electric truck fleet has passed the mark of two million miles of revenue service. FedEx is adding an additional 75 hybrid vehicles into service in the United States and Europe.
The hybrid trucks improve fuel economy by 42%, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30% and cut particulate pollution by 96%.
FedEx will now operate 172 hybrid vehicles around the globe, including the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in North America, which represent nearly one-third of the deployed North American hybrid truck market.
FedEx now works with a diverse group of manufacturers, including Eaton Corporation, Isuzu and Iveco. FedEx will also purchase twenty vehicles that use an Azure Dynamics hybrid system and Ford gasoline engine and chassis, representing one of the first gasoline hybrid-electric delivery trucks in commercial use.
FedEx continues to work to advance clean truck technology. We now need the collective leadership of business, nonprofit 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.
—Mitch Jackson, director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corp.
The additional 75 hybrid vehicles will expand the FedEx hybrid fleet into new markets and leverage new technologies.
Twenty FedEx hybrids using Azure Dynamics hybrid technology and a Ford E-450 chassis and gasoline engine will be placed into service in Los Angeles (15 vehicles) and Sacramento (five vehicles).
Ten Iveco hybrid-electric “Daily-model” vans with Iveco diesel engines and hybrid systems will begin to deliver packages on routes in Europe.
Forty-five FedEx hybrid-electric vans with the Eaton Corporation hybrid system will be stationed in New York City.
During the past five years, FedEx has worked to optimize delivery routes to ensure that the most efficient sized vehicle is in use on each route. As a result of these efforts, more than one-fourth of the FedEx fleet has been converted to smaller more fuel efficient vehicles, saving more than 50 million gallons of fuel.
FedEx is also beginning an upgrade to its air fleet by replacing narrow-body aircraft with Boeing 757 planes that lessen the environmental impact—reducing fuel consumption up to 36% while providing 20% more capacity. The company will also acquire Boeing 777 aircraft that provide greater payload capacity and use 18% less fuel than planes in its current international fleet.
Bravo! Kudos to FedEx and other fleet operators that understand being socially responsible is not only seen as a positive impact by their customers and peers, but also to their bottom line too.
I believe we all will rejoice when the variety of trucks that roll down our neighborhood streets are both cleaner and quieter.
OK, so positive advancements to both cars and trucks for our neighborhoods. Now, what about those personal maintenance utilities, like lawn mowers and snow blowers...
Posted by: Mike L | 28 April 2008 at 08:09 AM
Mike L,
You can buy Electric lawnmowers and weed-eater/edgers with or without the cord (I don't know what cordless lawnmowers can handle a very thick and overgrown lawn though).
Posted by: Patrick | 28 April 2008 at 08:20 AM
Patrick,
Yes, Electric and cordless lawnmowers exist though they each have their advantages and disadvantages. A cordless lawn mower would be fine on a thick lawn although only for maybe 1/4-1/3 of an acre. I don't think any cordless lawnmower can handle any more than an 1.5 acre anyway.
Posted by: JJSpawn | 28 April 2008 at 08:53 AM
MikeL:
I second you on Fedex efforts. I wish that school buses would follow. We live close to a regional secondary school and those 30 to 50 school buses are very (too) noisy.
Patrick:
The battery on existing handle type lawn mowers are way too small. A small electric lawn tractor could have a much larger battery for 1.0 to 2.0 acre lawns. Are they on the market yet?
Posted by: Harvey D | 28 April 2008 at 09:18 AM
Harvey,
Sorry - I don't know. I don't have a lawn to mow (apartments). I just recalled seeing the cordless electric mowers in most stores (lowes, home depot, sears, target) and when I was old enough to mow lawns in the 80's my parents always owned electric corded mowers and weed eaters.
If BYD really has a low price on Li-ion batteries lawn mowers would be a good application -> don't need as many cycles out of the battery because you may be mowing the lawn only once a week at most. Probably would also be easier to handle than a mower with SLA batteries.
Posted by: Patrick | 28 April 2008 at 09:36 AM
"..cut particulate pollution by 96%."
This should be enough reason for everyone to help them, if just to reduce health costs. Fed Ex is getting such positive spin on this that it is wonderful. Their employee morale may even improve when they are seen as going good things.
Mowers:
I have a cordless mower that I made myself using an AGM battery from Johnson controls Orbital division. It is 600 watt hours and will cut thick grass for longer than I can. I recharge it with a solar panel using the same sun that grows the grass.
Posted by: SJC | 28 April 2008 at 10:13 AM
Interesting SJC. I wish I had the background and time to do the same. I'm impressed with all your ingenious tools and bikes!
I've seen the electric snow blowers and lawn care tools, but most require a cord. Truthfully, I'm more interested in commercial grade vs. individual home owners. I would really like to see a day where a lawn care company driving a PHEV truck comes around and handles the lawn care and while driving between stops they are able recharge their equip against the battery. They could even recharge their truck at stops along the way too.
On the personal level, I am attempting to work with our local village to devise a plan that will encourage the village to provide a trade-in program for gas powered for electric tools. Our village does a great job today for seasonal trade-ins of old equipment or gas cans for enviro-friendly equivalents. Maybe they can go the next level to help jump start the local adaptation.
Sorry for taking the conversation off-topic, but I really long for a cleaner local neighborhood in an effort that it will then permeate someone's culture when they are at work or away from home.
Posted by: Mike L | 28 April 2008 at 11:00 AM
Harvey,
There are electric tractors:
http://www.electrictractor.com/
http://www.electrictractor.net/
But are all special order. So you can't go down to your local Lowe's and pick up an electric one yet. At least not in the Northern VA area.
Posted by: JJSpawn | 28 April 2008 at 11:08 AM
Electric lawnmowers and weed eaters are readily available and are very capable of handling most average homeowners lawns. I have had both cordless and corded. The cordless I am now using is 7 years old now. I bought it new, and have only replaced one $6 fuse in 7 years. I did have to put a new battery into my cordless weedeater, and that was around $60. I love using both of these tools. You don't have to start them, change oil, fill gas, or change spark plugs. You just squeeze the handle and go, anybody can operate it.
Posted by: KB | 28 April 2008 at 11:52 AM
AQMD in Southern California has a mower program where they take your gas mower and sell you a cordless one at cost. They sell about 200 mowers at $200 every time and people respond to the offer and they sell out every time.
I was working on a cordless leaf blower for lawn care people. I got tired of hearing the noisy gas ones. I wanted to use a SR motor to get the RPMs and have battery packs that could be swapped out and the spares charged in the truck between jobs. It was not a real money maker and lawn care people do not seem all that concerned.
Posted by: SJC | 28 April 2008 at 12:44 PM
The problem seems that we all got used to high noise and plenty of GHG from fuel garden tools and vehicles.
Kids even modify their car and bike exhaust to multiply noise by 10X. Small cities are not equipped with accurate noise data and video gathering systems. Judges will not accept the police words and those cracy drivers get off free. How are you going to convince those primates to use more efficient vehicles and tools? Many people strongly believe that it is their GGR to pollute and waste as much energy as they want.
Very difficult acquired behavior to change.
Posted by: Harvey D | 28 April 2008 at 02:40 PM
One a time basis, gas mowers and trimmers pollute more than cars. But most people would say they use the lawn gear 1 hour a week, so what. It all adds to air and noise pollution. I have a cordless mower and trimmer, both charged by the sun. It does not do much for society, but it does a lot for me.
Posted by: SJC | 28 April 2008 at 03:31 PM
for heavy growth and zero emissions, get a sling blade. keep it sharp with a file, and you can almost cut as fast as most string trimmers. it may take a while to perfect your technique, and be careful swinging it, especially around kids... also, make sure your gloves have some of those rubber grippers, or your hands will tire very quickly.
Posted by: jeff kil-a-watt johnson | 28 April 2008 at 08:24 PM
Thanks for the tutorial. I always like doing things using the simplest most effective method possible. Sometimes the old ways are still the best.
Posted by: SJC | 28 April 2008 at 11:05 PM
hi have you seen phoenix motorcars electric cars //s.u.t.sport utility vehicles.$47.500 very cool looking.
Posted by: mike h | 13 May 2008 at 11:45 PM