UPS Orders 500 Hybrid Electric and Natural Gas Powered Vans from Daimler

Deemed as the largest order of alternative-fuel and drive-train commercial vehicles to-date, UPS has placed a request of 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and 300 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to Daimler’s (Mercedes-Benz’ mother company) Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC).

These environmental friendly vans will be used by UPS for daily delivery operations across the United States and will function in along with the company’s current fleet of conventional diesel-powered vehicles. According to Daimler, the hybrid-electric power train that combines a diesel engine and an electric motor, will improve fuel economy by over 40% and reduce emissions by over 90% compared to baseline non-hybrid vehicles.

The 200 hybrid electric vehicles will be deployed in 2009 joining the 25 FCCC HEV delivery trucks already in operation at UPS. Daimler says that the 200 trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,786 tons each year.