UPS has recently deployed 50 hybrid electric delivery trucks to Austin, Texas, and 13 hybrids to Minneapolis, as part of a larger effort to put 200 new hybrid electric vehicles into operation in eight U.S. cities.
In addition to Austin and Minneapolis, the remaining trucks will be deployed to Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Long Island, N.Y., and Louisville, Ky.

Currently, 50 UPS hybrid electric vehicles operate in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix.

The 200 new HEV package cars are expected to reduce fuel consumption by roughly 176,000 gallons over the course of a year compared to the same number of diesel trucks. The hybrids also should reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tonnes per year.

"We're proud of this large HEV deployment to major cities in the United States," said Bob Stoffel, UPS senior vice president of supply chain, strategy, engineering and sustainability. "Collectively, this new HEV fleet can yield a 35 percent fuel savings, the equivalent of what's used in a year to power 100 conventional delivery vehicles."

The new hybrid power system uses a conventional diesel engine combined with a battery pack, saving fuel and reducing pollution-causing emissions. The small diesel is used to recharge the battery pack and to add power when necessary.

The HEVs also use regenerative braking. The energy generated from applying the brakes is captured and returned to the battery as electricity. The combination of clean diesel power and electric power, supplemented by regenerative braking, allows dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions.

The HEV fleet features two different size vehicles from Workhorse Custom Chassis and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. and a hybrid power system from Eaton. The external truck bodies are identical to UPS's other signature brown trucks, although they feature additional labeling identifying them as hybrid electrics. The trucks use lithium ion batteries, which offer a faster re-charging capability and last longer than previous generation HEV batteries. Additionally, these vehicles are much quieter than conventional UPS trucks and feature keyless entry.