FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., has signed agreements with Azure Dynamics Corp., a leading developer of hybrid-electric and electric powertrains for commercial vehicles, to develop gasoline parallel hybrid-electric powertrains
for its delivery fleet.
Under terms of the agreements, Azure will supply a parallel hybrid-electric test vehicle to FedEx Express for the Ford E-450 hybrid commercial delivery van development program. Once the development phase is completed, FedEx Express has committed to purchase a minimum of 20 pre-production parallel hybrid-electric Ford E-450 delivery vans to be delivered by May 2008.
"FedEx Express introduced hybrid-electric vehicles to the commercial vehicle market six years ago, and we look forward to further advancing this important, environmentally-conscious initiative with Ford and Azure Dynamics, " said John Formisano, vice president of Global Vehicles for FedEx Express.
"These agreements with FedEx Express provide an opportunity for greater customer input in product development, as well as a high-profile, multinational fleet as a lead customer for the Ford E-450 parallel hybrid electric vehicle," said Scott Harrison, CEO of Azure Dynamics.
In 2004, FedEx Express introduced the FedEx OptiFleet E700, an environmentally superior delivery truck, into its delivery fleet. With 93 hybrid-electric vehicles in service in North America that have traveled more than one million miles, FedEx Express has the largest fleet of hybrid- electric delivery vehicles of any transportation company within the United States.