FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, 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 FedEx E700 hybrid electric vehicle decreases particulate emissions by 96% and travels 57% farther on a gallon of fuel than a conventional FedEx truck, reducing fuel costs by more than one third.
This project began four years ago when Environmental Defense, an organization that works with industry leaders to create environmental and business innovations, and FedEx Express began working together to create the next generation delivery vehicle.
Cleveland OH-based Eaton Corp produced the hybrid electric powertrain for the vehicle.
FedEx currently has 18 hybrid trucks in service in Sacramento CA, New York NY, Tampa FL, and now Washington D.C. The vehicles have experienced uptime ranging from 96% to 99%, which is impressive for any new vehicle considering that the average uptime for the rest of the fleet is 99.6%.
The trucks are meeting environmental goals based on recent lab testing at the Southwest Research Institute, which found a particulate matter reduction of 96%, a nitrogen oxide reduction of 65%, and increased fuel efficiency of 57% compared with the 1999 baseline vehicle.