Schindler Elevator Corporation and logistics firm UPS have announced separate initiatives that will add a total of 600 alternative fuel vehicles to their fleets.
Schindler is replacing more than 500 internal combustion sedans in its North American vehicle fleet with the Toyota Prius Two (pictured). The gas-electric hybrid car is expected to reduce greenhouse gases by 42 percent over the company’s current sedan fleet. The fleet replacement will take place over the next three to four years.
The company replaced its 2,000-plus non-sedan fleet with the Chevy HHR in 2010. This has already saved an average of 2,358 gallons of gasoline per year, resulting in a reduction in fleet greenhouse emissions of 34 percent, Schindler said.
UPS has announced the deployment of 100 fully electric commercial vehicles that will deliver packages around California. UPS says the initiative will help implement governor Jerry Brown’s executive order to achieve widespread deployment of zero emission vehicles throughout California. In September, California announced that it had reduced its state fleet by 7,112 vehicles, or 14 percent, in an effort to comply with the executive order.
These UPS electric trucks will reduce the consumption of conventional motor fuel by about 126,000 gallons per year. Additional benefits include reduction of carbon emissions and noise. The vehicles have a range of up to 75 miles and primarily will deliver packages to customers in Sacramento, San Bernardino, Ceres, Fresno and Bakersfield.
On this project, UPS partnered with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, the EPA , South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District and Sacramento Air Quality Management District.
In October, UPS deployed 40 hydraulic hybrid vehicles in Baltimore and Atlanta. The vehicles are designed to achieve up to 35 percent improved fuel economy and up to 30 percent carbon dioxide emissions reduction over traditional diesel-powered vehicles that use automatic transmissions in stop-and-go applications.