UPS Adds 245 ‘Green’ CNG Trucks

by | Jan 20, 2010

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UPSgreentrucksUPS has deployed 245 new delivery trucks fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) to cities in Colorado and California as part as the company’s effort to reduce emissions from the use of fossil fuels and to lower its carbon footprint.

The trucks are expected to reduce emissions by 15 percent over the cleanest diesel engines available in the market today. Driving some of the industry’s adoption to clean trucks, GE Capital Fleet Services says it has processed more than $2.5 million in alternative fuel vehicle rebates last year.

The new CNG trucks have been deployed over the past month to Denver (140) and to four cities in California: San Ramon (18), Fresno (16), West Los Angeles (59) and Ontario (12).

UPS says it operates one of the largest private fleets of alternative fuel vehicles in its industry with more than 1,900 with these additions. The company first deployed CNG-powered delivery trucks in the 1980s, converting traditional gas- or diesel-driven vehicles to run on compressed gas. Since 2000, UPS’ “green fleet” has traveled more than 165 million miles.

The 245 trucks deployed over the past month were built from scratch as CNG vehicles. They join more than 900 CNG vehicles already in use by UPS worldwide.

UPS’ alternative fuel fleet consists of CNG, liquefied natural gas, propane, electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Brazil, Chile, Korea and the United Kingdom.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently completed an analysis of UPS’ first generation hybrid diesel delivery vans, finding a 28 percent fuel savings.

UPS also claims to be the first in the industry to purchase hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles early in 2009, and recently tested a new hydraulic hybrid system for some of its trucks. The company also has conducted research with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

To help finance and drive the adoption of clean fuel fleets, GE Capital Fleet Services’ has processed more than $2.5 million in rebates in 2009 under the Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles Rebate Program.

GE Capital Fleet Services tracks eligible vehicles for its customers, calculates the hybrid or alternative fuel credit and processes the rebates.

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