UPS announced the deployment of 40 new hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs) - 20 in Baltimore and 20 in Atlanta. Developed by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Parker Hannifin Corporation, the package cars can achieve up to 35 percent improved fuel economy and up to 30 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, Calif., and has been working closely with manufacturers to develop and test HHV technology since 2006.
UPS 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.