Curry Village Hybrid Bus

Hybrid Buses part of attraction! Last week I spent a few days in Yosemite National Park admiring the grand rock formations and waterfalls. We stayed at Curry Village. Transportation around the park is very well organized through a network of Hybrid buses.

After some research I came upon the following article from www.fleetowner.com

Each year, more than 3-million people ride the buses at California’s Yosemite National Park. That is a ridership figure many municipal transit companies would be proud to claim. These aren’t just ordinary diesel buses, though. Every one of the 18 buses in the Yosemite fleet is a 40-ft., low-floor, diesel-electric hybrid from California-based Gillig Corp. (www.gillig.com). Founded in 1890, Gillig is one of the largest producers of transit buses in North America and one of the pioneers in the commercial hybrid vehicles arena. Another pioneer, General Motors’ Allison Div., supplied the hybrid drive system.

“The hybrid buses have been a grand success,” says park superintendent Mike Tollefson. “They are a part of who we are at Yosemite and what we should be doing as a national park. They are much quieter, produce about 90% fewer emissions and use 60% less fuel than the diesel buses they replaced. It is also nicer being behind one of the new buses; there is no more diesel smoke and smell. We put the buses into service in 2005 and we are still excited about the project.”

“Back in 2002, when we first began this process, hybrids were still viewed as prototypical vehicles; they weren’t considered proven,” Delaney adds. “By the time we got to the actual procurement, however, hybrid technology had progressed and there were more in actual use. This gave us greater confidence to move ahead.

“The buses have served us well, too,” he notes. “For instance, they have allowed us to expand our bus service. We have elevation changes of between 2,000 ft. above sea level to more than 8,000 ft. above sea level within the park. Other systems we considered had elevation constraints, but we can take these buses up out of the Yosemite Valley to the higher elevations. The hybrid bus project is something I am proud of every single day.”

Gary Rosenfeld, with park concessions contractor Delta North Companies, is the transportation manager for the Yosemite Transportation System. Like Delaney, Rosenfeld is proud of the contribution the buses make to the park experience. “The buses run year-round along three routes with 22 total stops,” he says. “They operate 16 hours a day during the 150-day peak season, when we employee about 75 drivers. Both guests and drivers … like the clean and quiet operation and the smooth ride.”

When it comes to maintenance and durability, Rosenfeld says he expects the hybrids to run for 20 years at Yosemite. “Five technicians handle bus maintenance right here at the park,” he says. “We follow a regular maintenance schedule, but things like brake life are greatly extended and mechanics carry computers now instead of wrenches when they service the buses.”

In fact, the hybrid bus fleet at Yosemite National Park has become something of an attraction in its own right, according to public relations manager and park spokesperson Scott Gediman. “Yosemite is the only national park in the country with an all-hybrid fleet,” he says. “Now I get one or two calls every month from cities and counties inquiring about how to buy hybrid buses.”

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

Secretary Steven Chu

Secretary Chu Announces Best Buy, Johnson Controls, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Veolia to Join National Clean Fleets Partnership!

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t spot an Alt Fuel Truck or delivery vehicle on the road. Regularly I have seen UPS Hybrid Trucks in my neighborhood, but yesterday I spotted an all-electric Fedex delivery truck. It looked like no Fedex Truck I had seen before. Last month I reported on spotting a Fedex Hybrid Truck which looks like a regular Fedex Truck except for the writing on the side indicating it was a Hybrid truck. It makes sense that certain fleet vehicles such as postal vehicles, parking meter attendants, Garbage Trucks,  local traffic enforcement, UPS, Fedex and short haul delivery vehicles and such should be the first to go Hybrid as such vehicles are constantly subject to stop and go driving.

Check out this link for information about what our government is doing to make our cities cleaner and who has already joined the partnership:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/national_partnership.html

Here is a press announcement that indicates that soon we will see thousands more such vehicles in our neighborhood:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that four new corporate partners – Best Buy, Johnson Controls, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Veolia – are joining the Energy Department’s National Clean Fleets Partnership, a broad public-private partnership that assists the nation’s largest fleet operators in reducing the amount of gasoline and diesel they use nationwide. The new partners announced today join with 14 other major national companies in committing to improve the fuel economy of the commercial fleets, integrate alternative technology vehicles like natural gas trucks and electric vehicles into their fleets, and reduce their overall fuel use.  Collectively, the National Clean Fleets Partners operate more than a million commercial vehicles nationwide, accounting for more than 12 percent of all commercial vehicles on American roads.

Secretary Chu announced the new partners at Green Truck Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana, during which he discussed the Obama Administration’s investments in fuel-efficient technologies for commercial vehicles and truck fleets.

Fedex all electric truck

“As part of the President’s all-of-the-above approach to reducing fuel costs for American consumers and businesses, the National Clean Fleets Partnership helps leading U.S. companies reduce their fuel use, save money, and become models for fleets across the nation to improve their efficiency,” said Secretary Steven Chu. “By adopting alternative fuels, advanced vehicles and by making their operations smarter and more fuel-efficient, these national partners are increasing their competitiveness and helping to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

The Green Truck Summit, held in conjunction with NTEA’s Work Truck Show, is known for offering cutting-edge solutions at the forefront of technology, and has become the leading educational forum on how the “green revolution” impacts work trucks, including delivery vans, service trucks and garbage trucks. NTEA, the Association for the Work Truck Industry, represents nearly 1,600 companies that manufacture, distribute, install, sell and repair commercial trucks, truck bodies, truck equipment, trailers and accessories.

The National Clean Fleets Partnership, first announced by President Obama last April, aims to speed the deployment of clean, energy-efficient vehicles and the infrastructure to support their widespread use nationwide.  This public-private partnership helps large companies reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating alternative fuels, electric vehicles, and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations. This announcement represents another major step towards reducing fuel use and achieving greater efficiency and cost-savings for the nation’s largest commercial vehicle fleets.

Under the partnership, Energy Department experts provide each company with specialized resources, technical expertise, and support in developing a comprehensive strategy to reduce fuel use and achieve greater efficiency and cost-savings. The Department also helps connect partners with clean fuel providers and equipment manufacturers where their fleets operate.

The new partners announced today have already begun taking action to develop and implement fuel-efficiency projects in their fleets, including:

Best Buy – With more than 20,000 Geek Squad agents, Best Buy closely manages their fleet of approximately 5,000 vehicles. Since 2009, Best Buy has reduced its carbon emissions from fuel use by 21 percent.  The reduction was achieved through decreased engine sizes, deployment of the smallest, most fuel-efficient vehicles for the job, and elimination of underutilized assets. Best Buy is testing both electric and propane vehicles and has piloted telematics technology to help further reduce fuel use. Best Buy joined the partnership in March 2012.

Johnson Controls, Inc. – Johnson Controls has committed to design and deliver increasingly sustainable products, services and solutions that will help its customers improve their energy efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint, and achieve their environmental goals. The company has implemented several greenhouse gas reduction strategies in its global fleet of 19,000 vehicles worldwide. Beginning in 2009, the U.S. fleet introduced hybrid vehicles. The fleet today runs more than 500 hybrid vehicles, which each reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent. In 2011, it deployed 20 all-electric vans, which are estimated to achieve a 61 percent GHG reduction per vehicle. Other strategies include the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) vans, and higher mileage vans and trucks. In 2012, Johnson Controls will pilot the use of telematics and continue with the deployment of additional alternative fuel vehicles, including propane-fueled units.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company – With more than 3,100 on-road alternative fuel and high efficiency vehicles, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) operates one of the greenest utility fleets in the nation. Since 1995, PG&E’s alternative fuel fleet has displaced nearly 7 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel and helped prevent more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. In 2007, PG&E was the first utility to demonstrate the ability of electric vehicles to supply homes and businesses with power. PG&E joined the partnership in March 2012.

UPS Low emision Hybrid

Veolia Environmental Services – The Solid Waste division of Veolia Environmental Services maintains a fleet of more than 3,000 trucks, heavy equipment, and support vehicles. The company is dedicated to reducing petroleum use and emissions through route optimization, alternative fuels, and hybridization. As of 2012, the company operates four CNG fueling stations and more than 100 CNG refuse-collection and support vehicles. Veolia joined the partnership in December 2011.

Visit HERE for an update on the current National Clean Fleets Partners and additional background on the initiative.

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

Ram's new CNG truck

Chrysler announced last week that Ram would build the first straight-from-factory CNG truck in its history. The first batch of heavy duty 2500s will hit showrooms this summer, a major move for the automaker as it tries to blunt high gasoline prices for its customers. The announcement was made at last week’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

A representative for the company provided the simplest of explanations about Chrysler’s decision to produce a bi-fuel CNG/gasoline vehicle, saying, “This is something that consumers have asked us for.” In the video clip, you will see not only the two variations of the Ram CNG, but hear Ram executives explaining all the interesting details.

Note toward the end of the short clip where the exec mentions that a major source for sales will be government and corporate fleets, because they already have the infrastructure for natural gas. This factor has been a big selling point for other CNG vehicles as well, especially in the Midwest U.S., where natural gas hookups are plentiful. As the cost of gasoline (at the time of this writing) reaches well over $4 per gallon for American drivers, Ram could not have chosen a more opportune time to introduce their new CNG commercial truck.

The dual-fuel vehicle can drive 255 on CNG alone, then another 112 on gasoline. While there are about 1,500 natural gas service points in the U.S., only about half of those are currently open to the public. Most are on government or corporate property. Fiat, parent of Chrysler, has produced more than 500,000 CNG cars and trucks during the last half-decade, and virtually owns that market segment in Europe, accounting for about 80 percent of all CNG sales on the continent. Advocates for CNG point to its competitive cost and enormous reserves in the U.S.

For more details about Ram trucks, see http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Q: 

A:   Diesel particulate matter (PM) can penetrate deep into the lungs and pose serious health risks, including lung cancer, aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, and increased respiratory symptoms. According to the California Air Resources Board, diesel exhaust contains over 40 known cancer-causing substances and contributes to approximately 3,500 premature deaths per year. In addition, diesel soot causes visibility reduction and is a potent greenhouse agent involved in global warming.

I don’t know about you, but when I read something like this I gain a bit more confidence about the importance of what we are doing here.

This is just one of the questions and its answer that I found on the web site of  “Ironman” http://www.ironmanparts.com/. You should check out what these guys are about.

We at MyPerfectAutomobile.com spend the majority of our time concentrating on the automotive industry as it applies to us as individual drivers and the type of cars we should look at that may be more economical, ultimately save us a few bucks on gas, help us be a bit less dependent on foreign oil and clean up the air/environment some.

This Ironman group are there to make a real, significant impact on where it counts. The fleets of trucks and buses that are out there on the road that must be and stay in compliance with the state.

“Compliance regulations and requirements are complex and are not always well understood. Our goal at Ironman is to provide our customers with Emission Compliance with Confidence® and to simplify as much as we can the many complexities and challenges that compliance managers and fleet owners face”.

Challenges Fleet Owners Face

Fleet owners are affected by CARB regulations and must install Verified Diesel Emission Control Systems (VDECS). However, they must also meet annual reporting and record-keeping requirements, in addition to various other requirements from retrofit manufacturers and installers.

Keeping up with all of these requirements can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Every piece of information must be recorded, organized and easily accessible for when the time comes to report to CARB or to respond to an audit.

Storing data in excel spreadsheets or other document types, creates room for file duplication and outdated versions, compromising the integrity of the data. Another challenge? Compiling an entire fleet list in a complete and accurate manner (hard to find engine tags, faded numbers on VIN labels, etc.). So once you have your fleet database established and complete, you want to ensure that it remains safely stored, neatly organized and structured, as well as easy to find!

This group has facilities all over the state of California to help everything move along smoothly with the current technology that is driving the vehicles that are in motion on our highways and byways at this time.  If you are in a situation that they can assist you with, use them. If not, appreciate them for what they are doing to help our cause.

Ideally, all of the “fleets” would be powered by electricity, as some are now, but until that transition is done, I herald the presents and efforts of “Ironman”. Not a “Superhero”, but they are, none the less, super heros!

Larry Judkin

Larry Judkin + is My Perfect Automobile’s General Manager, but people call him Lar’. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Co-owner of My Perfect Automobile. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

    

VIA Motors Hybrid Truck

One advantage that an electric motor has is that it is relatively small compared to a gasoline engine with the same capacity. Another adavantage is that because of the high torque you don’t need a gearbox. At the Detroit Autoshow this month VIA motors showed off its plug-in Hybrid trucks and the 11″x11″   400hp electric motor that drives it. In fact the torque is so high that the VIA does need a gearbox to reduce it.

The electric motor weighs only 108 lbs and we were able to lift it up as you can see here. VIA motors will first take orders from fleets and other corporate entities before it will start selling to the general public.

In addition to the electric motor the VIA  uses an electric alternator to charge the battery with the generator. This alternator is typically identical to the motor. Since this is an extended range plug in hybrid the gasoline engine is still present, so untill we can drive 300 miles purely on battery and won’t need the gasoline generator, the significant weight savings will only be in future models. 

VIA Motors 400hp electric motor

Bob Lutz is on the board of VIA Motors. Bob was majorly involved in the production of the Volt which operates on a similar principle. So far the Volt has proven to be a complete success and other manufacturers are now jumping on the bandwagon with similar concepts. Already available across the country is the Fisker which is also an extended range plug-in Hybrid. In fact the Fisker also boasts 400hp of pure electric power!

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

Bob Lutz

Tradition, Experience, and SUVs

Bob Lutz, the man behind the Chevy Volt, is now a senior member of the Via Motors management team. Via is strategically positioning itself in the industry to be the leading manufacturer of the world’s next generation of electrified transportation options. Trucks, SUVs, and vans are all part of the mix. Lutz himself is on record as stating that in all his years of experience with auto giants BMW, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, he considers the Volt as the “most important” car of all.

Via Motors CEO Kraig Higginson, who is revved up (no pun intended) to have netted industry icon Lutz for the Via Motors team, sees a growing market for electrified trucks, “the work horse of America,” as Lutz calls them.

Higginson points to one of the many advantages of the company’s hybrid-electric trucks, saying that not only are they more economical to own and operate than gas models, but each year they will become more of an economic asset as fuel prices inevitably rise and battery prices drop. In fact, the Via Motors business model’s win-win formula is not only good for the bottom line, but serves the environment well. Via’s COO Alan Perriton, another GM alum, mentions this tantalizing fact: “Electrifying one truck is like taking two small cars off the road.”

Via Motors builds electrified versions of trucks, vans and SUVs by way of a pre-order system through its website. While the first wave of deliveries will be for fleet orders of 50 vehicles or more, consumer deliveries will begin in 2013. To see the Via Motors model offerings, visit their website at: http://www.viamotors.com. For an extensive biographical sketch of Bob Lutz, detailing his many years as a key player at the very highest levels of the auto industry, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lutz_%28businessman%

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Fedex Hybrid Diesel Truck

In 2000, as passenger hybrid cars were just beginning to grow in popularity, FedEx teamed with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on an ambitious project to make the standard delivery truck more environmentally friendly.
 
At the time, a handful of companies had tested cleaner vehicle technology, such as hybrids, but few had made commitments to add them to their commercial fleets. FedEx had long sought efficiencies in fleet operations to reduce fuel use and pollution, but recognized that advanced technology had the potential to greatly enhance those benefits.
 
FedEx work with EDF was a collaborative effort. The process began by clearly defining its goals for the vehicle: (1) improve environmental performance, (2) maintain or improve operational performance and (3) increase market share for clean delivery vehicles. To achieve this final goal, FedEx decided the technology would not be proprietary and would work with EDF to advocate for more adoption.
 
A request for proposal was issued to the industry, and FedEx and EDF selected Eaton Corporation and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation to build the FedEx hybrid-electric truck. One year later, the first available commercial hybrid delivery truck was placed into service on FedEx routes. The hybrid trucks improve fuel economy by 42 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and cut particulate pollution by 96 percent.
 
Today, the success story for cleaner truck technology continues. Worldwide, FedEx Express is operating 408 vehicles with drive train configurations other than the standard diesel/gasoline-burning power sources. Forty-three of them are all-electric and 365 are hybrid diesel-electric or gasoline-electric. Those 408 have driven over 9.5 million miles, reducing fuel use by almost 276,000 gallons and carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2,800 metric tons. The FedEx hybrid vehicle project has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Harvard University and WestSTART-CALSTART for its role in spurring hybrid truck advancements.

The effort has also helped spur expansion of the technology in the market. While FedEx once sourced hybrids from only one supplier, today FedEx uses technologies from seven different companies — Eaton Corporation, Isuzu, Azure Dynamics and Iveco. In 2005 FedEx had the only 18 hybrid commercial vehicles on the road.  Now it has 330 and there are over 1,700 hybrid delivery trucks on the road in the U.S., used by a wide variety of companies.
 
FedEx has continued its role as a leader in the industry by encouraging more companies to purchase and develop clean-technology trucks. Its vehicle experts have participated in numerous industry conferences and gatherings to educate companies about the benefits of cleaner truck technology. FedEx has also championed the need for a smaller engine for application in hybrid vehicles following the 2007 EPA federal engine standard to replace the existing larger, less efficient engine.
 
FedEx recognizes that government support will give a major boost to this technology. FedEx is the only transportation company to publicly call for fuel efficiency standards for commercial medium and heavy-duty truck classes. In addition, FedEx has been an advocate for government incentives at the national, state and local levels to offset the higher capital costs of cleaner vehicles while the market is developing, and its CEO and Chairman Frederick W. Smith has testified numerous times before Congress regarding the electrification of transportation.
 
There remains tremendous potential for growth in the cleaner vehicle technology market. Mitch Jackson, vice president of environmental affairs and sustainability at FedEx explains, “It’s time for the truck manufacturing industry to create its version of the Prius: clean, affordable and widely available for truck fleets.”
 

Fedex Green Vehicle in Paris

The integration of cleaner vehicles into its fleet has extended beyond hybrids and across a number of markets.

• Among these vehicles are 43 all-electric commercial vehicles deployed in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York City and Paris.
• FedEx has 365 hybrid-electric delivery vehicles, including an all-hybrid station in New York City.
• FedEx operates 58 trucks fueled by CNG (compressed natural gas), LNG (liquefied natural gas), and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), in Europe, the Asia Pacific and Latin America.
• FedEx has more than 320 LPG and electric-powered ground support equipment in use at the CDG hub in Paris and other operational facilities across Europe, with another 55 on order. 
• FedEx is a founding member of CAREX in France, an association committed to using rail as an alternative logistics solution to deliver European express cargo, thus reducing noise and carbon emissions.
• In Japan, FedEx teamed with General Motors in the test operations of a fuel-cell delivery vehicle for one year.
• FedEx Ground is working with Parker Hannifin Corporation to test a hybrid hydraulic technology on a heavier class vehicle (Class 6).
• FedEX operates biodiesel trucks on routes in the Washington, D.C., area as well as hybrid electric trucks.
• FedEx Office uses 7 hybrid passenger vehicles to support its sales and delivery operations.
• FedEx operates a large number of electric and alternative-fuel support vehicles worldwide, including more than 500 forklifts and 1,600 ground equipment units at airports.
• Couriers in New York City and in London’s West End deliver many of their packages on foot, reducing vehicle emissions and traffic congestion, and in Paris FedEx has an electric tricycle delivery vehicle.

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

A Nissan NV200 van

Nissan will unveil two headline-grabbing models at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unconfirmed reports from several news outlets point to a hybrid version of the company’s hugely popular Pathfinder, as well as an oddity that no one expected, an electric van. Right now, Nissan provides a few electric NV200 vans to FedEx for testing purposes. Other sources claim that there will be an electric Nissan van offered to taxi fleets in New York in 2017.

All the tidbits of information surrounding the upcoming Detroit show are enough to dizzy a prospective car buyer. Regardless of rumors and whispers, there will definitely be at least a concept version of an electric van and a totally redesigned Pathfinder on display. The latter, which came out in 1986, has not seen a style update for more than five years. Thus, this new concept Pathfinder SUV is greatly anticipated by press and public, and is expected to hit showroom floors in late 2012. That’s rather quick for a so-called “concept” to go up for sale, but it shows how far along Nissan is with its plans for these two entries. If Pathfinder has a hybrid model, and the company sells an electric van anytime soon, Nissan could find itself with three of the best selling alternative vehicles on the market, namely Leaf, Pathfinder, and the electric van.

An NV200 open for business

The prospective EV van is built on the Leaf’s drive train and battery pack system. At the Detroit show, Nissan intends to parade one of the vehicles around the concourse to tout its quick-charge, “80 percent in 30 minutes” capability. The FedEx versions of the van currently being tested in London are, essentially, Nissan Leaf power trains fitted with commercial cargo bodies.

For more information, click the hyperlinks below:
Nissan

FedEx

The Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS)

Nissan’s line of NV vans

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

UPS services nearly 8 million customers a day using a global land transportation fleet of more than 94,000 package cars, vans, tractors, motorcycles. That is an average of 80 customers a day per vehicle. OK, that is maybe not a good representation of the average duty of a UPS truck, but we all have seen them stop and go on a continuous basis. Stop and Go driving makes a vehicle an ideal candidate for Hybrid technology and so increasing mpg while reducing polution at the same time.

UPS operates one of the largest private alternative fuel fleet in its industry, which includes more than 2,200 compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, hydrogen fuel cell, electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

In addtion to using the latest automotive technology, UPS is also reducing its Environmental impact through proper route planning.

Careful Route Planning Yields Environmental Benefits! Effectively and efficiently serving nearly 8 million customers a day takes a lot of planning. Delivery routes need to be designed to avoid time-consuming and unnecessary overlaps. Drivers must know their territory and their communities. And, millions of packages must be tracked. By avoiding unnecessary driving and carefully planning the best way to approach daily deliveries, UPS reduces vehicle emissions and saves fuel.

UPS is a charter member of the EPA Smartway Transport Program, a voluntary partnership to reduce freight and fleet sector energy consumption, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.  In 2008, UPS became the first shipping company to join the EPA’s Climate Leaders program.  Climate Leaders is an industry/government partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies

For more information visit the UPS sustainability site: http://www.sustainability.ups.com/Environment/Innovative+Fleets+and+Facilities/Ground+Fleet

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

London Double Decker Bus

London Mayor Boris Johnson took a ride on one of his city’s brand new, emissions-slashing double-deckers Friday, calling the bus “the latest, greatest masterpiece of British engineering and design.”  The buses are inspired by the classic red Routemaster double-deckers that had been an iconic part of the London cityscape since the 1960s, until being phased out in the mid-2000s by former Mayor Ken Livingston. Manufactured by Northern Ireland’s Wrightbus and designed by London’s Heatherwick Studio, the new buses are powered by Volvo’s heavy-duty hybrid technology program.

Transport for London will be testing eight of the new hybrid Routemasters next year. Once the kinks are worked out, Mayor Johnson hopes to unleash a full fleet of them on London’s streets in the coming years.

Though technical details about the new buses are sparse, in 2009, Volvo collaborated with another bodywork firm to create a double-decker for the private London bus contractor, Arriva.

London Bus goes Hybrid

That bus was based on Volvo’s B5L parallel hybrid system which offered 25-percent fuel savings over a standard diesel engine. The new Wrightbus-manufactured models unveiled by Transport for London last week are said to greatly improve on that figure, providing better than double the fuel economy of a regular bus (an impressive 11.6 mpg,) and half the emissions.

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

Following in the footsteps of countless municipalities and federal government agencies, private company United Parcel Service has just purchased 100 electric delivery trucks, which will be added to its California operational fleets. While it is one of the world’s largest non-governmental users of electric and hybrid trucks, UPS is just beginning the push to convert its huge delivery contingent to alternative fuels.

UPS is buying the units from Stockton, Calif. Company Electric Vehicles International, whose spokespersons said that this transaction marks the largest buy of zero-emission vehicles in the state’s history. What is not widely known is that this deal was more than two years in the making, with UPS performing extensive testing and feasibility studies on its own to make certain that the move was a wise one.

The walk-in trucks, to be put in action in 2012, will have a 90-mile range and reduce UPS’s traditional fuel usage by over 120,000 gallons each year.

Electric Vehicles International CEO, Ricky Hanna, mentioned that several state and federal agencies helped move the deal along by providing significant monetary incentives. He also alluded to the fact that the deal may never have happened if it weren’t for UPS’s dedication to alternative fuels and environmental improvement. UPS Director of Maintenance and Engineering, Mike Britt, reiterated the financial incentive aspect of the interchange, saying, “EVI is aggressive at identifying and utilizing incentive funding to assist customers with fleet modernization deployments.”

EVI has been in the business of alternative energy for more than two decades, producing both all-electric and hybrid drive vehicles. The company exclusively uses valence lithium phosphate batteries, which allow for longer drive range, minimal operating expense, and increased life span compared to older-generation lithium batteries. The company’s mission is three-fold: EVI provides its customers with the best alternative fuel vehicles in the world, offers meticulous customer service, and constantly works to improve the environment.

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…