FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, in concert with Environmental Defense and Eaton Corp introduced a low-emission, hybrid electric-powered delivery vehicle that could become a standard medium-duty delivery truck for the FedEx Express fleet.
The FedEx OptiFleet E700 hybrid electric vehicle will decrease particulate emissions by 90%, reduce smog-causing emissions by 75%, and increase fuel efficiency by 50%.
Eaton Corp was selected to produce the hybrid electric powertrain for FedEx Express. FedEx Express has agreed to purchase 20 hybrid electric diesel delivery trucks using Eaton's hybrid electric technology.
Later in 2003 and into early 2004, these 20 vehicles will begin operation in four yet-to-be-named United States cities. These hybrid electric vehicles will endure real-world FedEx operating conditions to verify and prove their viability in commercial applications.
As the trucks succeed in meeting project goals, FedEx OptiFleet E700 hybrid electric trucks will be placed in the company's pick-up and delivery fleet as early as fall 2004. FedEx Express expects to purchase hybrid electric vehicles on the company's normal purchasing schedule for routes in the United States and Canada, where medium-size delivery trucks are used. This program could replace the company's 30,000 medium-duty trucks over the next 10 years.
The unveiling of the hybrid electric truck comes in the third year of a four-year project between FedEx Express and Environmental Defense to create a delivery truck that will dramatically decrease emissions and fuel use. While the two organizations began working together in 2000, manufacturers were invited in 2001 to submit proposals to design and develop an environmentally progressive commercial delivery vehicle.
Through a competitive process, Eaton Corp was selected from more than 20 manufacturers. Since the beginning of the project, progress toward goals has been assessed against the 1999 FedEx Express W700 standard delivery vehicle, which represents the most common model in the FedEx Express fleet.
Eaton's hybrid-electric powertrain effectively combines a diesel engine and electric motor to drive the vehicle. A computer determines the most efficient combination, depending on current operating conditions and driver demand. A four-cylinder engine replaces the six-cylinder version used in the FedEx Express W700 delivery vehicle. The engine size is reduced because of the added power provided by the electric motor. A particulate trap has been added to the truck to reduce emissions further.
Lithium-ion batteries capture and store energy during the “regenerative braking” phase of the vehicle's operation, providing a source of stored electric power for the motor during future acceleration. Therefore, all electrical charging of the battery is provided by the hybrid electric powertrain, and no external electrical infrastructure — such as a power cord or electrical outlet — is required.
This balance between conventional and electric technology is a method to improve environmental performance and decrease fuel use while eliminating high electrical-demand infrastructure costs. The hybrid electric truck's operating characteristics will stay virtually unchanged from that of a conventionally powered FedEx Express vehicle.
Eaton's hybrid electric power train has been placed in the standard white FedEx Express W700 delivery truck, which uses a Freightliner chassis. The hybrid electric delivery vehicle will be differentiated from the standard FedEx Express delivery vehicle only by an OptiFleet brand decal on the sides and rear of the vehicle. The hybrid electric E700 has a gross vehicle weight of about 16,000 pounds and a cargo capacity of approximately 670 cubic feet.