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cheapie
05-14-2008, 06:20 AM
This is the order I was working on earlier this year that I couldn't say anything about. I am an account manager with Eaton, company that makes the HEV system, and I handled the deal between Freightliner and our company. This is probably one of my proudest achievements with the company. :thumbup:



UPS Places Largest Order Ever for Hybrid Electric Trucks


UPS "Green Fleet" to Expand with 200 Hybrid Electrics in Addition to 300 Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles

ATLANTA, May 13, 2008 - UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) - the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company - in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.

The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative fuel fleet - already the largest such private fleet in the United States - will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.
UPS Hybrid Electric Vehicle
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"Alternative fuel research and development is just one of the ways that UPS is mitigating climate change risks," said Bob Stoffel, UPS's corporate sustainability officer. "We also are focused on aggressive conservation programs and improving network efficiency to cut fuel use."

UPS's "green fleet" operates in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has traveled nearly 144 million miles since 2000. The fleet includes electric, hybrid electric, CNG, liquefied natural gas and propane-powered vehicles. The company also is continuing work with the Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.

"UPS has been utilizing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years and is clearly the industry leader in hybrid electric and CNG vehicle purchases," said Robert Hall, director of UPS's ground fleet. "At UPS, it's very important to us to demonstrate our commitment with action, which is why we have the largest private 'green' fleet in the industry. And both CNG and HEV vehicles provide substantial reductions in carbon emissions, which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment."

The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 and join 50 HEV delivery trucks already in operation. The 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. That is the equivalent of removing almost 100 conventional UPS trucks from the road for a year.

The HEV's hybrid power system allows UPS to save on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allow electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.

The HEVs also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy produced in stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking produces dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.

The 300 CNG vehicles will be deployed later this year and join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the United States. CNG vehicles run on natural gas, a cost-effective, clean-burning and readily available fuel. These vehicles are expected to yield a 20 percent reduction in emissions over the cleanest diesel engines available today.

The CNG/HEV vehicle order follows the April 2008 deployment of 167 new CNG vehicles in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon, Fresno and Sacramento. In addition, UPS added 50 next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in May 2007.

The chassis for the CNG and HEV trucks are being purchased from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, with Eaton Corporation supplying the hybrid power system for the HEVs. The truck bodies are identical externally to the signature-brown trucks that now comprise the UPS fleet with additional script markings that will identify them as CNG and HEV vehicles.

mojo
05-14-2008, 06:30 AM
:cheers:

johnnymk
05-14-2008, 06:47 AM
Excellent.

I am becoming more convinced that natural gas is the way to go. However, we will need the infrastructure.

If there were terminals near me, I would have my car converted.

guiseppewv
05-14-2008, 09:10 AM
Congrats, Cheapie! :cheers:

smeakim
05-14-2008, 10:16 AM
I was expecting to see UPS introduces pedal powered trucks. Congrats...

wung
05-14-2008, 10:55 AM
awesome! congrats!!

Prngr44
05-14-2008, 12:43 PM
Nice job!!

DarkFury
05-14-2008, 01:10 PM
Mo Money... Mo Money... Mo Money... :kaching:

cheapie
05-14-2008, 02:17 PM
heh. i actually didn't get any sort of hit in my pay because of it. but i did get a lot of attn from upper mgmt because of my efforts.

mechmike0034
05-14-2008, 03:16 PM
Don't you need someone to do service training or service training curriculum development? On the outside chance that you do, let me know...

cheapie
05-15-2008, 07:07 AM
we do but we have internal resources that handle it. there's not a ton of extra training for the high-voltage stuff. the big thing is getting the dealer/depot certified to ship and receive hazardous materials so they can service the battery pack.

uncledaddy
05-15-2008, 09:17 AM
Way to go! Congrats. :cheers:

The Happy Squirrel
05-15-2008, 07:50 PM
Wtg!!!!!!

Yossarian
05-18-2008, 08:32 PM
atta boy...and UPS is probably the delivery company that needs it most, from a cost cutting stand point. they typically have anywhere from 3-7 UPS drivers per 1 of our (dhl) routes. and thats not simply because they handle more freight. i've got a few companies that will see ups 3 different times, three different drivers, for just 2-4 envelopes.

depending on the service level of your package, ups will send it on one of those three trucks, meaning they put on a lot more miles and back tracking.

clutchy
05-18-2008, 10:13 PM
congrats you beast.

thresher
05-20-2008, 07:10 PM
UPS = United Pedal Service? Bravo Cheapster! You know thanks to you, I too, am part of the pedal army.

cheapie
05-20-2008, 07:47 PM
heh. glad you like your bike. a giant, right? i'm in florida on a business trip and am missing mine.

DarkFury
05-21-2008, 06:23 AM
UPS = United Pedal Service? Bravo Cheapster! You know thanks to you, I too, am part of the pedal army.
Heh...

You're "down with the Brown" eh? :heh:

thresher
05-22-2008, 07:56 AM
Not quite. I don't work for UPS, but Cheapie inspired me to get a bike to ride to work. I manage a boating supply store. I would love to work for the brown box delivery service, but happy where I am right now.

JackHammer
05-25-2008, 06:18 PM
We have a few places in the 5 borough of NYC that have CNG fill up stations. However, the range of the CNG's that I've driven aren't that great. I work for the utility company and we have a fleet of CNG vehicles. I used to drive a Dodge Caravan and I had to fill up every single day to last me the 8 hour shift.

johnnymk
05-25-2008, 06:35 PM
We have a few places in the 5 borough of NYC that have CNG fill up stations. However, the range of the CNG's that I've driven aren't that great. I work for the utility company and we have a fleet of CNG vehicles. I used to drive a Dodge Caravan and I had to fill up every single day to last me the 8 hour shift.

How many miles do you drive per day and how big is the tank?

When I worked for NJDOT, I was directed to study alternative fuels approx. 15 years ago. I looked at methanol, ethanol and CNG and came to the conclusion that CNG was the best selection considering all of the variables back then.

However, considering fuel economy and the number of miles driven per driver, I also concluded that a truck with approx. 7500 lb. GVWR was the most ideal candidate.

Well, they decided to install a large CNG filling station at our complex in Ewing, NJ and then purchase some CNG cars and trucks. I don't know if the project proved to be a success or not relative to MPG.