FedEx to test Nissan electric van; UPS to add 100 EVs by 2013
The 2 major shipping companies plan to expand their 'green' fleets.
FedEx will test an electric Nissan van on U.S. delivery routes by next year, at least several months before the gasoline model arrives next fall as New York's "Taxi of Tomorrow."Powered by the same electric drivetrain as the 4-door Leaf, the Nissan e-NV200 is a compact panel van designed to compete with the Ford Transit Connect Electric. The Nissan van won't be on sale until at least April.
In December, FedEx began testing a small fleet of e-NV200 vans in London and later drove them near Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, over the summer. The shipping company has 130 electric vehicles and more than 350 hybrids in its worldwide fleet, including several electric trucks made by Smith and Navistar in California, New York and Memphis, Tenn. FedEx said that while its Chicago fleet was interested in testing several electric vehicles, it has no definite plans to purchase the Nissan van. In Memphis, the company is converting several of its gas-powered trucks to run on electricity.
"We are investing in innovative technologies that we hope and believe can be vehicle workhorses for the future – electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel-efficient Sprinter-type vehicles, compressed natural gas," said FedEx spokeswoman Jennifer Caccavo Cordeau.
By comparison, UPS, which runs the world's largest delivery fleet of alternative-fuel trucks, has 380 hybrid trucks in the U.S. and 31 electric trucks worldwide. UPS said it would add 100 more electric trucks in California -- based on the Freightliner Sprinter -- in 2013 and an additional 40 hydraulic hybrids for the East Coast by the end of this year (hydraulic hybrids don't use batteries but recapture energy through fluid and pressurized gas). But while UPS said that smaller electric vans might work on Europe's narrower streets, where the "package volume is less demanding," it has no plans to add vans like the e-NV200 to its fleet.
"In order to be sustainable, they have to make business sense," said spokeswoman Natalie Black. "A lot of it, too, has to do with incentives."
Neither company can top Frito-Lay, which in August said it would have 275 electric delivery trucks in the U.S. by the end of the year. Office-supply company Staples has 53 EVs in its fleet.
By October, the first gas-powered NV200 vans will be delivered to New York City taxi fleets. The city has a 10-year agreement with Nissan to replace most of its 13,000 cabs with the roomier vans, but did not say whether it would consider using the electric versions.
[Source: Nissan, FedEx, UPS]
With "green" it also means more cost for shippers...which means more cost to consumers.
California now required diesels to have 2010 or newer eco motors with DPF (diesel perticulate filters). Not just trucks registered in california..but all trucks entering california.
This means many small companies and owner operators who can not afford the green change will cease operating into california, some larger companies have established "green" trucks just for california but charge a lot more for this service. I charge $1,000 per load green fee just to roll into california for my trucks. So everything from milk to TV dinners will be costing more.
If you were the CEO of FedEx, and you could buy 200 EVs at $100,000 each, and then write it all off at the end of the year, hence giving yourself a raise (while completely ignoring your employees' pay), wouldn't you do it too? I mean, come on, everyone needs a new yacht.
Go ahead, support "green." I just really, really, really, really can't wait until all you idiots find out it's nothing more than a marketing scam for the government and big businesses to make money (once again) off the middle-class taxpayers. Do you honestly think the government and media would do something selflessly for you, the consumer, and the environment? No; absolutely not. They're out to MAKE MONEY to buy more stuff and take more control. "Green" is nothing more than a word and people buy into it like it's a way of life. No, you morons. If "green" was really saving the environment - it's NOT - but if it was, then it wouldn't need all the hype it gets. Why do you think everything that's enivronmentally friendly is called "green" rather than "earthy" or "enviro-friendly" or "clean?" Because they (business and government) have SOLD the word "green" as nothing more than a catch-phrase. And they've done it well. They know America is a population of non-educated, placebo-driven people who don't know how things REALLY work - who will all jump on board with "ideas" just because they are trained to blindly accept things without research or question. Did you ever think about all the non-"green" activities it requires to advertise "green" on the radio, television, banners, billboards, etc. But that doesn't count, right? We should all trust our politicians, media, and CEOs - because let's be honest - they've done SUCH a good job so far and they haven't ever screwed or mislead anyone to further enrichen themselves. I'm not saying burning gas is any better, BUT... it's not any worse; mainly because it doesn't carry an unnecessarily large load of B.S. in its wake.
If you buy into this "green" scam, you are nothing more than a brainwashed, misinformed hypocrite trying to save YOURSELF money, rather than saving the environment. "Green" is no different than the wave of puke the lower-case "i" has made on basically every electronic device out there. "If it doesn't have an "i" in the beggining of its name, I'm not buying it." This is the way people think. It's absolutely disgutingly pathetic. Perfect example: the iPhone 5. Who cares? What does it do (functionally) that's so spectacular than any other smart phone out there? Nothing. Just more useless apps for useless people for a useless generation-to-come. Apple should actually call it the "iGreen 5." Then they'd own the world.
IT TAKES FOSSIL FUELS (A LOT) TO PRODUCE, MAINTAIN, DELIVER, AND STORE ELECTRICITY. The more cars there are plugged in, the more fuel it's going to take to maintain our power grid; and the more electricity is going to cost... kind of like fuel now, huh? But just ignore that (and all the other truths), because the Toyota dealer told you your Prius is "green." I am NOT an environmentalist, but I do work for a utility company, and I also have the capability to see through B.S., as well as make an informed opinion based on FACTS - I don't just accept what the commercial tells me. If I was bias or hypocritical at all, I'd be supporting the whole "green" EV and hybrid movement - it's only going to make ME more money by driving the price of electricity up - but I refuse to swallow B.S. Let me ask you "environmentalists" this? Have you seen an ad, commercial, or contract lately that WASN'T trying to sell you something? Furthermore, have you ever seen any of those things without fine print? No? That's because they're screwing you.
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