FedEx inks hybrid deal

FedEx Express has reached an agreement with hybrid-electric powertrain manufacturer Azure Dynamics Corp. to test and eventually buy a fleet of Ford E-450 hybrid delivery vans.

Under the agreements, Azure will supply a parallel hybrid-electric test vehicle to FedEx’s hybrid commercial delivery van development program. If the tests are successful, FedEx Express said it has committed to purchasing a minimum of 20 pre-production parallel hybrid-electric Ford E-450 delivery vans, to be delivered by May 2008.

“We introduced hybrid-electric vehicles to the commercial vehicle market six years ago, and we look forward to further advancing this important initiative with Ford and Azure Dynamics,” said John Formisano, vp-global vehicles for FedEx Express. “We continue to look for opportunities for economic efficiencies, environmental stewardship and being a good corporate citizen. We are encouraged that this project can do just that.”

He noted that, in 2004, FedEx Express introduced the FedEx OptiFleet E700, a hybrid delivery truck, into its fleet. The operation now has a total of 93 hybrid-electric vehicles in service in North America and these have traveled more than one million miles.