UPS Diesel Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans
The United Parcel Service operates hybrid electric package-delivery vans to reduce the fuel use and emissions of its fleet.
In 2008, NREL's Fleet Test and Evaluation Team evaluated the first generation of hybrid delivery vans operated by the United Parcel Service (UPS) in Phoenix, Arizona, and found that the hybrid vans demonstrated 29%–37% higher fuel economy than comparable conventional diesel vans. The results of this study are featured in the Twelve-Month Evaluation of UPS Diesel Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans report. NREL's follow-up evaluation of these vehicles over three years of operation showed that the hybrid vans demonstrated 23% higher fuel economy than the diesel vans. Refer to the Thirty-Six Month Evaluation of UPS Diesel Hybrid-Electric Delivery Vans report for detailed results of the follow-up evaluation.
In 2010, UPS deployed 200 second-generation hybrid vans among eight U.S. cities. The Fleet Test and Evaluation Team is evaluating the 18-month, in-service performance of 11 of these second-generation hybrid vans and 11 comparable conventional diesel vans operated by UPS in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The evaluation includes testing fuel economy and emissions at NREL's Renewable Fuels and Lubricants (ReFUEL) Laboratory and comparing diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration. For more information, refer to the Project Overview and Interim Project Results fact sheets.
One goal of this project is to provide a consistent comparison of fuel economy and operating costs between the second-generation hybrid vans and comparable conventional vans. Additional goals include quantifying the effects of hybridization on DPF regeneration and helping UPS select delivery routes for its hybrid vans that maximize the benefits of hybrid technology.
