UPS Goes Greener with a New Hybrid Fleet

UPS announced yesterday it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) – the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company – in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.

The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative fuel fleet – already the largest such private fleet in the United States — will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.

Check out some great pictures of the new vehicles that were ordered:

The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. These trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.

Each HEV’s hybrid power system allows UPS to save on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allow electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.

The HEVs also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy produced in stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking produces dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.

Learn more about UPS’s responsible business practices at sustainability.ups.com.

Picture with permission by UPS.

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