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Cleaner Vehicles
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FedEx is committed to making delivery trucks more environmentally friendly
In 2000, as passenger hybrid cars were just beginning to grow in popularity, FedEx teamed with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on an ambitious project to make the standard delivery truck more environmentally friendly.
At the time, a handful of companies had tested cleaner vehicle technology, such as hybrids, but few had made commitments to add them to their commercial fleets. FedEx had long sought efficiencies in fleet operations to reduce fuel use and pollution, but we recognized that advanced technology had the potential to greatly enhance those benefits.
Our work with EDF was a collaborative effort. The process began by clearly defining our goals for the vehicle: (1) improve environmental performance, (2) maintain or improve operational performance and (3) increase market share for clean delivery vehicles. To achieve this final goal, we decided the technology would not be proprietary and we would work with EDF to advocate for more adoption.
A request for proposal was issued to the industry, and FedEx and EDF selected Eaton Corporation and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation to build the FedEx hybrid-electric truck. One year later, the first available commercial hybrid delivery truck was placed into service on FedEx routes. The hybrid trucks improve fuel economy by 42 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30 percent and cut particulate pollution by 96 percent.
Today, the success story for cleaner truck technology continues. FedEx now operates more than 170 hybrid vehicles around the globe, including the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in North America, which comprises nearly one-third of the deployed North American hybrid market. The FedEx hybrid vehicles have logged more than two million miles of revenue service. The project has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Harvard University and WestSTART-CALSTART for its role in spurring hybrid truck advancements.
The effort has also helped spur expansion of the technology in the market. While FedEx once sourced hybrids from only one supplier, today we use technologies from four different companies -- Eaton Corporation, Isuzu, Azure Dynamics and Iveco. In addition, more than 30 companies have integrated hybrid truck technology into their fleets and that number is expected to grow significantly.
FedEx has continued its role as a leader in the industry by encouraging more companies to purchase and develop clean-technology trucks. Our vehicle experts have participated in numerous industry conferences and gatherings to educate companies about the benefits of cleaner truck technology. We have also championed the need for a smaller engine for application in hybrid vehicles following the 2007 EPA federal engine standard to replace the existing larger, less efficient engine.
We recognize that government support will give a major boost to this technology. FedEx is the only transportation company to publicly call for fuel efficiency standards for commercial medium and heavy-duty truck classes. In addition, FedEx has been an advocate for government incentives at the national, state and local levels to offset the higher capital costs of cleaner vehicles while the market is developing.
Still, there remains tremendous potential for growth in the market. Mitch Jackson, director of environmental affairs and sustainability at FedEx explains, “It’s time for the truck manufacturing industry to create its version of the Prius: clean, affordable and widely available for truck fleets.”
The integration of cleaner vehicles into our fleet has extended beyond hybrids and across a number of markets.
- In London, we introduced 38 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Mercedes-Benz sprinter vans, which reduce carbon emissions by 12 percent.
- In Japan, we teamed with General Motors in the test operations of a fuel-cell delivery vehicle for one year.
- FedEx Ground is working with Parker Hannifin Corporation to test a hybrid hydraulic technology with on a heavier class vehicle (Class 6).
- We operate biodiesel trucks on routes in the Washington, D.C., area.
- In Vicenza and Milan, Italy, our fleet includes vehicles that operate on compressed natural gas (CNG).
- FedEx Express has more than 250 LPG and electric-powered ground support equipment in use at our Charles de Gaulle International Airport hub in Paris and other operational facilities across Europe. Another 70 are on order.
- FedEx Kinko’s uses 15 hybrid passenger vehicles to support its sales and delivery operations.