Wind Energy

FedEx Introduces First All-Electric Trucks In The U.S. Parcel Delivery Business

The Memphis, Tennessee headquartered company said four purpose-built electric trucks are slated to hit the road in the Los Angeles area starting in June 2010, joining more than 1,800 alternative-energy vehicles already in service for FedEx globally.

FedEx is purchasing its first North American all electric vehicles from two different suppliers to evaluate the robustness of this technology and provide information to help guide future vehicle purchases.

Two of the new all-electric trucks come from Navistar, and are being assembled in Indiana. These are based on the Modec design already operated by FedEx in Europe. Another pair of electric vehicles is being purchased from a different manufacturer for delivery to the Los Angeles area later in 2010.

Both sets of electric vehicles are designed with a range that allows many FedEx Express couriers to make a full eight-hour shift of deliveries before their vehicles need recharging.

A FedEx-branded prototype all-electric truck from Navistar is being unveiled today at an event in Chicago to kick-off a demonstration tour of the technology. The vehicle will be operated along historic Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Mitch Jackson, vice president, environmental affairs and sustainability, FedEx Corp said, "Down the road, we see the possibility of charging electric vehicle fleets with low- or zero-emission electricity generated on site by such innovations as solar electric arrays, like those at FedEx locations in California, New Jersey and Germany, or the Bloom Energy Server, another new technology we’re helping to pioneer through evaluating it at our solar-powered hub in Oakland."

The company expects the size of the alternative energy fleet to grow to 1,869 vehicles globally by the end of June. Beyond the nine new electric trucks to be deployed in Los Angeles and Paris, FedEx has purchased ten additional hybrid-electric vehicles that will be added to its California fleet throughout the spring, based in Oakland.

The company said it has also set long-term goals to reduce aircraft emissions 20% by 2020, increase FedEx Express vehicle efficiency by 20% by 2020, and expand on-site renewable energy generation and procurement of renewable energy credits.

fedex.com/