Greener Deliveries on the Way

Shopping online is one of the great luxuries of modern life, and it has its environmental benefits. It keeps us from using our cars and, in the case of online-only stores, removes the need for energy-demanding, brick-and-mortar stores.

But when you factor in the fuel-using, emission-producing trucks that deliver the products, online shopping's environmental costs begin to add up. Luckily, delivery companies are starting to look for solutions.

UPS announced Tuesday that it will be the first delivery company to use hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs), a diesel hybrid technology that replaces the conventional drivetrain and transmission with a hydraulic propulsion system. Hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks capture and store energy and the diesel engine is used to periodically recharge pressure in the propulsion system.

The company began testing the EPA-developed technology two years ago on Detroit routes with significant results. The vehicles achieved a 45-50 percent increase in fuel economy compared to the conventional diesel trucks and the company believes that the same results, plus a 30 percent reduction in CO2, are possible in daily use. The first HHVs will be deployed in early 2009 in Minneapolis, with more following in 2010.

DHL is also planning to reduce its footprint. The company announced earlier this month that it was setting up a clean technology incubation unit that will fund innovative startups capable of helping them cut emissions. The company has set a target of reducing emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

via UPS and BusinessGreen