UPS To Add 40 Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles To Its Fleet

UPS announced on October 4 the deployment of forty new hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs) – twenty in Baltimore and twenty in Atlanta. Developed by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Parker Hannifin Corporation, the package cars can achieve up to thirty-five percent improved fuel economy and up to thirty percent CO2 emissions reduction over traditional diesel-powered vehicles that use automatic transmissions in stop-and-go applications.

Both deployments were supported in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, which is focused on advancing the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation.

The HHVs in Baltimore will be deployed immediately while the vehicles in Atlanta will be introduced before the end of 2012. UPS currently has one HHV in operation in Laguna Hills, CA, and has been working closely with manufacturers to develop and test HHV technology since 2006.

The HHVs operate on two power sources – a fuel-efficient diesel combustion engine and advanced series hydraulic hybrid components. Energy created by the vehicle’s continued braking action is stored in the HHV’s hydraulic high-pressure accumulator, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle. The HHV has a function to turn off the engine and drive the vehicle using the stored energy to propel the vehicle. This engine off strategy can reduce up to ninety minutes of engine run time in a typical route.

Because the HHVs efficiency relies on constant braking, the vehicles are best suited for urban routes, which typically involve frequent stopping and starting.

The delivery company currently operates 2,593 vehicles powered by alternative fuels or technology, including hybrid electric, electric, liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, bio-methane, and propane-powered vehicles. As of 2011, UPS’s alternative fuel and technology fleet has logged more than 240 million miles and is well on track to reach the company’s goal of 400 million miles by 2017. For more information on UPS’s sustainability initiatives, please review the company’s 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report at http://responsibility.ups.com/Sustainability.

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