Just How Far Can A Chevrolet Volt Go On Electricity? How About 81.8 Miles

So how far can a Chevy Volt go one one charge? I plan to find out. Equipment used: one 2012 Chevy Volt with 52,000 EV miles and a whole lot of spare time!

FedEx Field Was The Perfect Base OF Operations

Let’s discuss what one charge means. There are three ways to charge a Chevy Volt: plugging in via J1772 connector, using Mountain Mode, or reclaiming electricity via regenerative braking.

I’ve seen ranges as high as 141 miles using regenerative braking through large elevation changes. Theoretically, hundreds of miles can be achieved on one charge via regenerative braking. I will be usingnone of these methods to charge the battery after my initial charge.

To achieve a very long range, one must almost never stop, in essence a test track should be used, or a road as much like a test track as possible. I do not have a test track to use, so I had to locate a public road very much like a test track. A long country road would work, but last time I checked no such road exists near metro Washington DC.

The best choice in my case would be a large traffic circle. In addition, there needs to be nearby access to a level 2 charger. I succeeded in finding the perfect location, FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. Surrounding FedEx Field is a giant traffic circle, and right next to the road are 12 free solar powered level 2 chargers compliments of NRG eVgo.

The key factors affecting range are speed (lower the better), ambient temperature, tire PSI, driving style, elevation change, and climate control. I will be driving around 20 MPH. Optimal temperature for efficiency is around the mid 80′s Fahrenheit, which is warm, but not hot enough to engage thermal management of the battery. I will be using no climate control, of course. Recommended tire pressure by GM is 38 PSI. Really too low, many owners go with 42-45 PSI. A few hyper milers (me included) go with 50 PSI. For this test, I went way beyond that and set my tires to 60 PSI. Do not try this at home! Another factor in my favor is that my tires are pretty worn as they have 52,000 miles on them. Newer tires with more tread create more friction with the road, reducing EV range and MPG.

Getting Underway!

I picked Memorial Day for my run. It was a nice warm day, upper 80s Fahrenheit and I could spare a good chunk of my day for this “exercise”. Early afternoon I set out for FedEx Field. I used around 60% of battery to get to FedEx Field from Northern Virginia. About 2 1/4 hours later I had a full charge. However, I waited. I let the battery rest for 30 minutes, then turned on the Volt while it was still plugged in. This allows the Volt to charge an additional buffer. I will not go into details here, subject for another article. About 10 minutes later, the battery was charged to the maximum allowed. This raised the actual state of charge from 87% to 89%. The Volt only allows 65% of the battery to be used, this trick bought me another 2%.

A key metric for measuring efficiency of how one drives is miles per kWh. My 2012 Volt has an EPA rated range of 35 miles on 10.0 kWh, or 3.5 miles / kWh. Really efficient driving is 5 miles / kWh. This drive will go way beyond that.

At 6:25pm I started my run. I turned off my daytime running lights and made sure Bluetooth was off on my phone. I did not want any precious electrons wasted on a Bluetooth connection. I had both front windows cracked about 1.5 inches due to the heat. There are a few small little hills on the ring road around FedEx Field. When going down these hills, I use neutral to coast as much as possible. My speed varied from 19 MPH up to as high as 25 MPH. Average speed for the entire run was 23 MPH. I really could not go slower since it was an active road. By the time I finished and my range had dropped to 0 miles, I had driven 81.8 miles using 9.8 kWh for a measurement of 8.35 miles / kWh.

81.8 Miles On Electricity!

Here is a table with my progress:

Long Distance Chevy Volt On Electricity Progress Chart

The drive required a lot of concentration keeping the speed at the perfect spot and continually shifting from drive to neutral back to drive. It’s amazing how quickly the time actually passed. I did have to stop once. I managed to catch the interest of a police officer who wanted to know what I was doing. I explained I was testing the electrical range on my Volt and he let me on my way, or on my circle!

Unfortunately, I should have started a little earlier. I had to turn on my lights dropping my efficiency from 8.5 kWh. A 2014 Volt with around 11.0 kWh available has a decent chance of getting to 90 EV miles on one charge. Anyone with a 2014 Volt want to try???

XL Hybrids Wants You to Know: They’re Still Here

We first covered XL Hybrids back in 2011. Back then, we were excited about the company, which promised to offer bolt-on retrofit kits that would turn high-volume vehicles like full-size GM vans and Panther-platform Fords into more fuel efficient gas-electric hybrids. It seemed like a great thing, but we didn’t hear much about the company. After a while, we mostly forgot about it.

Mostly.

A few weeks ago, however, I received an email from Jay Sandler asking if we were still interested in hearing about what XL Hybrids was up to. After more than three years, I told him that I was surprised XL Hybrids was still up to anything at all – and that’s when things started to get pretty interesting.

Jay is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for XL Hybrids – and he’s been busy. The company’s first commercial products launched late summer last year. These were hybrid retrofit kits for Chevy Express 2500 and 3500 vans which were closely followed by kits for Ford’s E series Econoline vans. That E series retrofit surprised me, since that van has been largely out-Darwined by the Mercedes Sprinter and Ford’s own Sprinter series vans.

“That’s true,” said Sandler. “They’re still making E series vans, though, to fill existing orders. On top of that, there are millions of those vans, from E150s to E350s, still in operation in fleets all over the country. Our conversions can help extend the lives of those fleets and reduce their running costs.”

That seemed like sound reasoning to me, but I wondered (aloud) if people would put an expensive retrofit package onto an existing vehicle that they, maybe, didn’t want to put any more money into.

Sandler actually laughed at that. “That’s why we’re still around.” It turns out, XL Hybrids is still around because its retrofit conversion kits sell for about $8000, and can typically pay for themselves in gas savings in about 3 years. “36-39 months,” says Jay, adding “that’s without government or tax incentives figured in. We can actually make a solid business case for our conversions.”

That’s a far cry from competing hybrid truck products like Bob Lutz’ VIA project, which offers $79,000 pickups that would- well, let’s just say that it would take you “longer” to get your money back out of a Via truck without some serious government subsidies.

We had a chance to do some direct question-answer stuff ahead of an industry trade show in California. I typed furiously, but may have missed a few words here- so take these as “paraphrasing” rather than direct quotes from Jay. Enjoy!

Q&A With XL Hybrids’ Jay Sandler

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Q. What’s the big take-away, the main point of what XL Hybrids is doing?
A. I’d say the product is easy to operate. There’s no special driver training required, so (the drivers) can just get in and drive. Our hybrids drive just like conventional vans, but it picks up braking energy and turns it into kinetic energy going forward, so it gets a 25% increase in MPG.
Q. How does the product impact OEM warranty?
A. There’s no impact, because there’s no interaction with the ECU/TCU. Our hybrid system reacts to data on the CAN Bus, in that it “listens” and then applies TQ or braking as it sees fit.
Q. How long does it take to install?
A. Most shops can install our product in about 5 hours.
Q. Do you have a CARB number?
A. Yes. Even if we don’t touch the emissions controls, California requires it. We have a vehicle in the CARB lab and expect to be certified shortly.
Q. Do you see VIA Trucks as a competitor? How do you compare, cost-wise?
A. The XL Hybrid system is less than $10,000- closer to $8,000 in volume. The VIA system is closer to $80,000- which is, like, crazy. They can make sense with large gov’t subsidies covering the incremental difference, but the problem is that gov’t subsidies aren’t always forever and they aren’t always consistent. That’s not a sustainable business case, because there doesn’t seem to be any economic sense to an $80,000 conversion if you have to pay for it yourself. XL’s simplicity also removes the VIA’s need for specialized training for techs and dealers nationwide. 5 hour install. If it fails, it’s just a van until it gets repaired.
Q. How long to recoup your investment?
A. 3 years. 36-39 months, in most cases.
Q. What’s the biggest deal, the key idea you want people to “get” about XL Hybrids?
A. Again, I think it’s the fact that we make good economic sense without subsidies. That’s a pretty unique claim in the green space. Most of the few similar options for fleets out in the market today don’t make sense without incentives.

Source: Gas 2.

Down But Not Out, Smith Electric Gets $42 Million Investment

After stopping production due to a lack of profitability, EV truck maker Smith Electric has been granted a $42 million lifeline to keep the fledgling company going. The investor is Chinese battery developer and builder Sinopoly, which under the deal will become Smith’s sole battery supplier. Will this big bet pay off?

Smith Electric has had some success in delivering vehicles to corporate giants like Coca-Cola, FedEx, and even the U.S. Marines, but those sales were heavily subsidized, and a lack of return customers meant a lack of capital. Unlike Fisker though, which languished in bankruptcy limbo for over a year, it took less than a month for an investor to swoop in with cash to get the business up and running again by mid-summer. The $42 million investment gives Sinopoly approximately a 19% slice of Smith Electric, making them the largest shareholder, and it has intentions of importing the zero emissions trucks to China.

Sinopoly is holding to gain a foothold in the increasingly-relevant electric vehicle field, and Smith Electric is well positioned to become a leader in commercial EV sales. Right now the problem is costs, and being part-owned by a battery maker may have its perks, as Smith Electric will move away from current suppliers A123 Systems and Valence. Sinopoly will provide batteries, as well as other EV components, as the preferred supplier.

One thing that won’t carry on is the Smith Electric name, as the Sinopoly investment carries with it the new moniker of FDG Electric Vehicles Limited. Anybody got a good acronym for FDG?

Source: Kansas City Journal

FedEx Electric Delivery Vans To Get Hydrogen Range Extenders

The commercial vehicle market stands to benefit the most from the adoption of cheap-to-operate electric vehicles, though range limitations also mean limited use for most delivery companies. Buoyed by a $3 million Federal grant, FedEx, Smith Electric Vehicles, and Plug Power are adding hydrogen-powered range extenders to 20 electric delivery vans for real world testing.

The hydrogen fuel cell range extenders will about double the driving range of the Smith Electric Vehicles delivery vans, which can travel about 80 miles between charges. That’s good enough for extremely local delivery, but many routes have drivers covering 150 miles or more on a regular delivery route. While electric vehicles are capable of covering such distances, the costs and recharging times go up accordingly. FedEx has tried out a wide range of electric vehicles, but so far none can cover a full day’s work. Rival UPS has gone so far as try out electric-assisted trikes in Europe.

By having a small battery and a hydrogen range extender however, one could add 50% more range in just a few short minutes if needed, and 160 miles of operating range should cover all but the lengthiest routes. Just as important, the hydrogen-electric hybrid can reduce fleet fueling costs by as much as 50%, and considering how much fuel those 10 MPG delivery vans go through, there’s a whole lot of money that can be saved if the right alternative is found.

With Toyota investing heavily in a hydrogen fueling infrastructure of its own, maybe fuel cells really are a better answer than pure EVs? FedEx certainly seems to think so.

Source: Gas2.0

Nissan FedEx e-NV200 electric concept van delivers in Germany

It looks like Nissan made a special delivery at the Commercial Vehicle International Motor Show in Hanover, Germany, this week: a special concept version of the battery-electric e-NV200 panel van that it's been testing with FedEx since late last year.

The Japanese automaker, whose EV e-NV200 has the same 24-kWh battery and 80-kW motor as theNissan Leaf, started testing the vehicle with FedEx in London last December and expanded that effort to Yokohama, Japan, this past summer.

Nissan says more testing will be done with FedEx in Singapore, Brazil and the U.S. The vehicle will likely include an option that allows it to be 80-percent recharged in 30 minutes using a DC fast charger. More in Nissan's press release below.

FedEx getting Amp'd delivery truck, could be first of 9,000

FedEx has been quite serious about adding electric vehicles to its fleet, saying in 2011 that it would more than double its number EV vehicles. Of course, all that meant was going from 19 to an expected 43, but it's the start of removing some tailpipes. Plus, with overall big green vehicle ambitions, FedEx

In some cases, going EV means using the Nissan NV200 EV prototype in London. In others, it means partnering with upstart Amp Motors to convert two 14,000-pound GVW trucks for FedEx to test in Washington, D.C. This proof of concept, all-electric step van could be a huge first step, as FedEx has said it hopes to convert 9,000 vehicles to EV power. Amp also has a contract with Navistar for a similar van project.

Steve Burns, Amp founder and president, sent an email to AutoblogGreen explaining why the company is interested in these sorts of delivery trucks:
As I know you are keenly aware, it has been a tough year for smaller EV companies (Aptera, Bright, Azure, Think) because the passenger EV market has been a bit slower to evolve than first thought. It is moving nicely, and is actually doing better than hybrids did in 2000 when they first came out, but it is proving to be a slow process to unwind 100 years of an oil based economy that is so tightly woven into the fabric of this great country.

To that end, we began to look for areas that might be more receptive to adapting EVs with our technology in the shorter term. Earlier adoption would provide both learnings and revenue while the passenger EV market to ramps up.

The two major factors that appear to influence EV adoption are:

1) Price
2) Limited Range

We looked for applications that got very poor gas mileage (so that the payback would be quicker) and traveled less than 100 miles per day so that range was not an issue. So, re-powering fleets that utilized larger vehicles for urban deliveries came into focus. And the clearest vehicles that emerged were the step vans used by the likes of FedEx, Navistar. The chassis and bodies on these types of vehicles are typically used for 20 years. So, removing the diesel based drivetrain and re-powering 10-year-old vehicles with all electric drivetrains looked to be the most cost effective manner to get tens of thousands of these vehicles converted from very dirty old style diesel to zero emission electrics. The key was to get the payback under 5 years. Preferably 4 years.

Our ML EV drivetrain pushes around a 5,000-pound vehicle spiritedly. So, the task of moving a 14,000-lb vehicle somewhat spiritedly was not too daunting of a task. So, essentially we utilized our dual Remy model model with large scale cells and our same control software/hardware and we had the formula and the price point. In other Amp news, the company's first dealer had a launch party recently and, says Burns, "we are about to sign up our second dealer who is one of the top Mercedes-Benz dealers in the country." 

Smith Electric Reveals New EV Step Van For FedEx

One of the quiet success stories in the EV world has been Smith Electric. This company is slowly but surely signing on one big business after another, and Smith EV’s are becoming a more common sign in cities across the U.S. Ever charging forward, Smith has revealed a step-van version of its Newton electric van, the first examples going to parcel-service FedEx.

FedEx’s white delivery van are well known to most Americans, but what isn’t as well known is the fact that fuel costs are one of the parcel company’s largest expenses. And it isn’t just FedEx either; nationwide, many businesses spend a lot of money to not go very far, with most businesses operating within a 100-mile radius. With electricity rates being what they are, going electric isn’t just about saving the Earth…it is about saving money.

While not every route will work with the Newton’s limited 100-mile range, many will. With a gross-vehicle weight of between 14,000 and 26,000 pounds, these EV vans are no slouch in the hauling department either. Frito Lay is already using Smith EV’s for deliveries in New York City, and the U.S. Marine Corp is testing two Newton EV’s for deployment on the battlefield.

It is funny how, among all the politicizing of electric vehicles, Smith Electric really seems to be making movies without making news. The marriage of left-wing ideals (electric cars) with right-wing business acumen just makes sense. EV’s won’t work for everyone…but that doesn’t mean that won’t work for anyone. Perhaps President Obama should mention Smith Electric more, and the Chevy Volt less?

Source: Gas2.0

Global hybrid and plug-in truck sales will almost double this year

Global hybrid and plug-in truck sales will almost double this year as more companies and public entities turn to advanced powertrains to cut fuel costs, green-technology research firm Pike Research said.

In 2012, hybrid and electric-drive truck sales around the world will reach about 19,000 vehicles and will increase by more than 45 percent for each of the next five years until it hits more than 100,000 vehicles by the end of 2017, Pike Research said.

The increase reflects a combination of a broader range of electric-drive models for utility vehicles and a rebound in the retail industry, which will free up cash for companies to pay more for alt-fuel vehicles, according to Pike Research senior analyst Dave Hurst. Industry analysts have predicted rapid growth for electric-drive trucks because of the potentially substantial fuel-cost savings relative to conventional diesel trucks, which usually get well below 10 miles per gallon.

AT&T, Coca-Cola, FedEx and UPS are among companies that in recent years have stepped up efforts to buy hybrid or plug-in trucks in order to cut both fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions from their fleets.


Source: Autoblog Green

FedEx to double the size of its electric vehicle fleet

With a whopping 19 electric vehicles, FedEx's battery-powered fleet isn't all that big. But, with FedEx Express adding more than 4,000 fuel-efficient vehicles within the next two months – including 24 of the electric-only variety – the package delivery company's fleet of electrics will soon more than double in size to, drumroll, 43 units.

FedEx Express says it will place two dozen electric-only vehicles into service in three cities and, at the same time, will add hybrid-electrics, composite vehicles and upgrade more than ten percent of its existing fleet to more fuel-efficient package-transporting machines.

As for those electric-only vehicles, FedEx Express says they will join the company's fleets in New York City, Chicago, IL, Memphis, TN and Los Angeles, CA. FedEx's mix of electric vehicles includes 15 Navistar eStars (pictured), two Freightliner eCells, two converted Freightliners and five Ford Transit Connect Electric vans.



Source: Autoblog Green

FedEx Express doubles and diversifies all-electric fleet with 24 new units; adding more than 4,000 new, fuel-efficient vehicles in total

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. is adding more than 4,000 new, fuel efficient vehicle. As part of that, within the next two months FedEx Express will place 24 new all-electric vehicles into service, expanding to three new cities and more than doubling its fleet to 43 all-electric vehicles while growing the diversity of suppliers it uses for electric vehicles.

At the same time, FedEx Express will be adding more hybrid-electrics, using composite vehicles and upgrading more than a tenth of its conventional vehicle fleet to more energy-efficient vehicles.

FedEx Express is bringing new all-electric delivery vehicles to New York City, Chicago and Memphis, and diversifying the existing Los Angeles fleet. In all, FedEx will add into service 15 Navistar eStar electric vehicles, two Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) eCell electric vehicles and two FCCC electric vehicle retrofits, and five Ford Transit Connect Electric vans to complement the current 19 all-electric vehicles deployed in Los Angeles, London and Paris.

These vehicles will be studied to help evolve all-electric vehicle technology and to establish a foundation of understanding on utility grid needs by modeling impact of future all-electric vehicle growth on the shared energy grid.

• In New York, FedEx Express will be working with GE and Columbia University’s Engineering School to study energy grid impacts in an effort to project how large vehicle deployments would impact the energy grid.

• In Chicago, FedEx Express will be comparing different all-electric vehicle technologies to determine what works best for its fleet needs.

• In Memphis, FedEx Express is retrofitting existing vehicles to make them all-electrics, saving resources through using existing vehicle bodies. FedEx has added five Transit Connect Electric vans from Ford Motor Company and Azure Dynamics to support the corporate Information Technology Asset Disposal program, driving regularly scheduled routes to pick up, recycle, reuse and dispose of IT assets.

• In Los Angeles, FedEx Express is diversifying its fleet, adding an FCCC eCell to its current four Navistar eStar all-electric vehicles, and is in the midst of adding 45 new FCCC-Eaton hybrid-electric pickup and delivery vehicles to its fleet.

Different vehicles are appropriate for different routes. The key is to use the right truck for the mission on the right route. FedEx Express is adding all-electric and hybrid-electric vehicles to dense urban routes that have a lot of starting and stopping. This use of regenerative braking and electric motors significantly improves the efficiency of the vehicles on such urban routes.

On high-mileage routes, FedEx is upgrading vehicles with 4,000 fuel efficient, lower emitting BlueTEC clean diesel Sprinter Vans. Each Sprinter is at least 100% more fuel efficient than the most commonly found alternative it replaces. Since launching our first Sprinter in 2000, we have put close to 1.4 billion miles on these more fuel efficient vehicles, saving over 66 million gallons of fuel compared to their predecessors.

—Keshav Sondhi, manager of Asset Management for FedEx Express Global Vehicles

FedEx Express has also been piloting five composite vehicles from Utilimaster in Detroit, Memphis, Jackson, Tenn., and Jonesboro, Ark. Dubbed “The Reach,” it is able to achieve 35% better fuel economy than its predecessor and has been performing well. The smaller, more efficient engine and low weight of the composite materials, which includes recycled rubber material, resin, fiberglass and poly core, compared to aluminum, allows the vehicle to achieve these fuel efficiencies.

Source: Green Car Congress

Azure Dynamics logs 27 additional Ford Transit Connect Electric orders

Ford Transit Connect Electric – Click above for high-res image gallery

Azure Dynamics has logged 27 additional Ford Transit Connect Electric sales, including a five-unit sale to returning customer FedEx, a four-unit order from the City of Toronto, a three unit purchase made by DTE Energy and a 15-unit order from various Ford commercial truck dealers.

At FedEx, the five Transit Connect Electrics – ordered through Holman Ford-Lincoln in Pennsauken, NJ – will join one of the world's largest fleets and further FedEx's goal of decreasing the environmental impact of its day-to-day operations.

DTE Energy, headquartered in Michigan, is expanding its use of alternative-fuel vehicles and the three electric vans will be vans among the first pure electric vehicles that the utility company will employ.

An additional 15 Transit Connect Electrics were sold to 14 Ford commercial truck dealers who will use the vehicles as demonstrators to entice potential customers and increase awareness of electric vehicles.


Source: Autoblog Green

Corporate Vehicle Fleet Managers Looking To Add EV's

Fleet managers rated rising, volatile fuel prices as their top concern for 2011, over driver safety and cost savings, according to a survey conducted by General Electric Capital Fleet Services during the 2011 NAFA Institute and Expo. The survey shows that 28% of the 105 corporate fleet managers they questioned will introduce electric vehicles into their fleets within a year, possibly as one solution to the spike in gas prices.

Fleet vehicle heavy hitters like Ryder, UPS, FedEx (and even the USPS!) already boast EVs in their fleets. Back in November, General Electric Co. (GE) pledged to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles for its own fleet and for global fleet customers by 2015- almost have of which will be purchased from General Motors Co. The first model will be the Chevrolet Volt- which has been earning rave reviews from owners.

While 25,000 vehicles may be a drop in the bucket, Deb Frodl, Chief Strategy Officer for GE Capital Fleet Services, claims that GE might be in a “strong position” to promote EV adoption and growth, presumably by example. GE owns one of the largest fleets, operates a global fleet management business, and offers a multitude of EV-related products that may contribute to the development of an EV infrastructure. There are also now more plug-in and electric vehicle options for fleet managers to choose from than just five years ago, giving the market more choice in which direction they choose to go.

Source: Gas2.0

FedEx Ready To Display All-Electric Trucks for U.S. Parcel Delivery

An All-Electric FedEx Delivery Truck








John Formisano, Vice President, Global Vehicles of FedEx Express discusses their upcoming electric trucks:

This all-electric vehicle project has been a bit more challenging than the implementation of the Hybrid-Electric delivery vehicles we have deployed. (We started with four of them in 2004, and are operating more than 300 now.)

This all-electric vehicle, though, was purpose-built, meaning every system in the vehicle must be designed, tested and built from scratch. To build an entire vehicle from scratch tests the mettle of automotive engineers and customers alike.

As we think through the likelihood of this new technology becoming dominant in service to our customers in urban areas, I can foresee a few challenges. These challenges are significant, but need to be conquered to secure the energy future of the United States or any country that wants to end dependence on foreign energy sources. Our Chairman, Fred Smith, has been vocal in calling for the need to secure our country’s energy independence and, in working with SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy), he has outlined a path toward energy security via the electrification of short-haul transport. Our new ZEV is a real first step in this process.

The bridge from electric vehicle technology today to a world where it is mainstream involves:

* Improving and then stabilizing the technology of electric vehicles: Today batteries are large and creature comforts in the vehicles are small. The cost of the 80 kilowatt-hour battery needed to propel this truck and its cargo 100 miles is well above the cost of a large luxury sedan. We’ll need to see the technology evolve to ensure that these vehicles can use smaller, more energy-dense batteries to achieve what we expect in our vehicles. In today’s conventional trucks, comforts we take for granted, like air-conditioning, and safety features like power steering and power brakes, are “hung” from the truck engine and powered via a drive belt. In an electric vehicle everything is powered by the batteries, meaning that adding air conditioning or power steering shortens the range of the truck before it needs recharging.
* Stimulating demand: The recent economic stimulus package provided funding for the production of batteries and electric vehicles. Demand will need stimulation as well. While the initial costs to the manufacturers have been subsidized, these all-electric trucks are still a lot more expensive to buy than conventional trucks. So, it will take some stimulus on the customer side as well to get sales moving and encourage the kind of initial production levels that can help bring down the cost of the batteries from the price of a large luxury sedan to something in the range of a motorcycle. I’ll leave it to the policy experts to determine what might work best, but certainly things like tax credits, accelerated depreciation and incentive funding that companies can plan on would go a long way.
* Establishing regulations that understand today’s and tomorrow’s technology: Much like Hybrid vehicles, plug in vehicles need to have regulations which understand what today’s EV’s and Plug-in EVs are capable of doing. Trucks are regulated differently than cars and a small range extending engine, which could serve to charge only the batteries, will go a long way in putting “Plug-in” EVs on the street.
* Preparing the grid: The Economist magazine recently pointed out that when the first electric cars are purchased they will tend to go the same neighborhoods where the environmentally conscious consumers with means will purchase them, keeping electric vehicles unevenly distributed. We’ll have the same issue with electric trucks. I’m told that each ZEV truck will be the equivalent of adding one new house to the grid for peak demand. Imagine when we are able to put the first 100 electric vehicles into one FedEx Express station, making it a completely electric vehicle station, as we did with our 100% hybrid vehicle station in the Bronx in New York City. This would be the equivalent of putting 100 houses peak electric needs into 50,000 square feet of space. The grid will need to be ready to bear this load. The fact that companies like FedEx operate their delivery trucks almost exclusively during the day helps, because they’ll be recharged at night, “off-peak” in utility terms, when there is usually surplus power available on the existing grid.
* Preparing city governments: As huge amounts of power are brought to buildings and EVs are put on the street we transition from Federal Motor Vehicle standard control to local control for building code and regulatory compliance. Cities that want these new, clean electric trucks will work collaboratively with fleet operators to get them the facilities they need without endless bureaucratic hassles. Put another way, fleet operators will choose the cities that really want these vehicles as “early adopters.”

Like hybrids, electric vehicles will have a role in helping us achieve our goal to improve the fuel efficiency of the fleet 20% by 2020. The challenges are real, but very solvable.

Source: FedEx

Vision Industries' Zero Emission tyrano Truck To Be Tested By FedEx

Here is a press release announcing FedEx's plans to test a fleet of plug-in hybrid electric fuel cell trucks. Too bad they decided to use hydrogen fuel cells as the concept will never get off the ground. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is a dead end even if no one will publicly admit it.

Companies like UPS, FedEx and the USPS are ideal candidates for alternate energy vehicles considering the astronomical number of miles each drives every year. Also, their large fleet's provide the perfect environment for testing and data collection of new technologies.

PRESS RELEASE:

FedEx Freight Corp., a leading provider of regional and long-haul less-than-truckload (LTL) services in the U.S., and Vision Industries Corp. (OTCBB: VIIC), producers of the zero emission plug-in electric/hydrogen fuel cell hybrid Tyrano™ truck, today announced that the companies have entered into an agreement to test a tractor powered by the hydrogen/electric hybrid Tyrano™ drive train. FedEx Freight Corp. is a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX).

As part of the agreement, Vision Industries Corp. will configure a FedEx Freight tractor with its hydrogen/electric hybrid Tyrano™ drive train. The reconfigured vehicle will then be tested for one year in certain operations to evaluate the operational suitability of the Vision Tyrano™ technology.

"It is our goal to be involved in projects such as this to further the advancement of alternative fuels that both reduce our dependence on foreign oil and are good for the environment,” said Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO, FedEx Freight. "We are excited about technological advancements we see today in transportation and look forward to what the future holds in this arena.”

Martin Schuermann, president & CEO of Vision, stated, "We applaud the FedEx vision of an environmentally friendly heavy-duty truck fleet. We believe that our zero emission Tyrano™-powered vehicle will help FedEx Freight work toward its goal of reducing its carbon footprint.”

About FedEx Freight

Within FedEx Corp., the FedEx Freight Segment had annual revenues of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2009. With corporate offices in Memphis, Tenn., the Segment includes FedEx Freight, a leading U.S. provider of regional LTL freight services; FedEx National LTL, a leading U.S. provider of long-haul LTL services; FedEx Freight Canada, an LTL operating company serving most points in Canada; and FedEx Custom Critical, North America's largest time-specific, critical shipment carrier. For more information, visit the FedEx web site, fedex.com.

About FedEx

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $34 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 275,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

About Vision Industries Corp.

Vision is a provider of hydrogen fuel cell/plug-in electric powered vehicles and turnkey hydrogen fueling systems. Vision’s proprietary hydrogen fuel cell/plug-in electric drive system combines the superior acceleration of a battery powered electric vehicle with the extended range provided by a hydrogen fuel cell. Vision uses major manufacturers as partners or sub contractors to produce its vehicles. This business approach avoids massive outlays of startup capital. Many regional, state and federal alternative energy programs in the form of grants, subsidies, tax credits and loans exist or are planned. For more information on Vision Industries Corp., please visit www.visionindustriescorp.com

Iveco-FedEx Express Release Results From First Six Months

It is six months since the beginning of the on-road field evaluation programme of the 10 Daily hybrid diesel-electric, that Iveco supplied to FedEx Express, the world’s largest express air delivery company, and the moment has arrived to publicise the first results of this activity.

The results of these field evaluation were presented at Palazzo Marino, in Milan, during a press conference attended by Ottavio Gioglio, General Manager Iveco Italian Market, Renato Carrara, Managing Director Operations Mediterranean District, FedEx Express and the Councillor responsible for Mobility, Transport and the Environment of the Municipality of Milan, Edoardo Croci.

Over the first six months of the trial, which will continue until May 2010, each vehicle covered an average of 7,900 km with a 26.5% reduction in fuel consumption and a total decrease in CO2 emissions of 7.5 tons when compared with a fleet of traditional vehicles. These results were made possible by sophisticated control systems and functions such as the Stop & Start, which allows the vehicle to start in electric mode and brake with energy recovery.

“Iveco is strongly committed to the development of this technology. The results of the test are visible sign of our commitment to driving the change by promoting a sustainable innovation,” stated Ottavio Gioglio, General Manager Iveco Italian Market.

“The results of this new investment confirm the ongoing commitment of FedEx Express to making hybrid truck technology a reality. FedEx Express was the first company to invest in commercially deployable hybrids and is now operating a large number of hybrid vehicles around the globe,” added Renato Carrara, Managing Director Operations, FedEx Express Italy.

The Iveco vans have demonstrated they have the essential characteristics needed for commercial use. Following specific training using the vehicles, FedEx Express drivers have been overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the performance, functionality, and ease-of-use of the vehicles. The drivers have also expressed their pride at being able to contribute to safeguarding the environment while doing their everyday job.

Iveco worked closely with FedEx Express in the development of the hybrid diesel-electric Iveco Daily, which showcases technology new to light commercial vehicles. FedEx Express is also the first company to test the technology in vehicles which are designed to stand up to the tough demands of express delivery in crowded urban environments.

This is what it is all about, namely, increasing miles per gallon and reducing CO2 emissions. This synergistic effort achieves both.

Source: Iveco