September 29, 2011
UPS Inc. has purchased 130 hybrid electric vehicles, which will go into service next year.
Thirty of the package delivery trucks will roll out in New York and New Jersey, and 100 will be deployed in California, UPS said in a statement.
The company has acquired two different sized vehicles from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. that use a hybrid drive system from Eaton Corp., and look very similar to standard UPS delivery trucks. The class 6 walk-in delivery trucks will have a 90-mile range.
The new trucks could save UPS 30 percent in fuel costs, -- translating to 58,371 gallons of fuel saved annually -- and could reduce CO2 emissions by 592 metric tons.
This acquisition brings UPS's fleet of alternative fuel vehicles to 2,022 nationwide, the company said. In addition to the current 250 hybrid electric vehicles, the company also uses compress natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane and all-electric vehicles.
In August, UPS purchase 100 all-electric vehicles from Electric Vehicles International.