FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., has announced plans to add up to 75 hybrid, diesel-electric trucks to its service fleet in the next 12 months, contingent upon pricing and availability.
The announcement coincided with the unveiling of two FedEx hybrid trucks in the nation's capital, which brought the company-wide total of hybrid trucks in use to 18.
"Placing hybrid trucks in Washington D.C., and the planned increase for next year reflects the growing viability of hybrid trucks," said John Formisano, vice president of Global Vehicles, FedEx Express. "It also shows the commitment of FedEx to pursue the use of promising technologies that both reduce fuel costs and provide more environmentally responsive vehicles for the communities in which we live and work."
The Washington, D.C. rollout is a joint initiative with Environmental Defense and Eaton Corporation.
The FedEx E700 hybrid electric vehicle decreases particulate emissions by 96 percent and travels 57 percent farther on a gallon of fuel than a conventional FedEx truck, reducing fuel costs by more than one third.
The project began four years ago when Environmental Defense, an organization recognized for its work with industry leaders to create environmental and business innovations, and FedEx Express began working together to create the next generation delivery vehicle.