UPS to cut costs with more hybrid vehicles

In an effort to enjoy cost savings and reduce excess carbon emissions, UPS recently announced that it will add more hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles to its fleet. These 40 new vehicles will cover routes in Atlanta and Baltimore.

This won't be the company's first venture into greener delivery vehicles. UPS already has more than 2,500 alternative fuel trucks in operation.

The shipping giant received assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program to help fund the cost of the new fleet, but it is not known how much of the purchases these grants covered.

UPS said these hydraulic hybrids will increase fuel economy by as much as 35 percent, giving the company enormous opportunity to enjoy a cost reduction, as it will purchase less fuel to power its vehicles. The trucks also release fewer carbon emissions than traditional delivery vehicles, making them more environmentally friendly.

"Our long-term goal is to minimize our dependence on foreign energy and one way we will get there is through the deployment of a wide variety of technologies and designs in our fleet," said UPS director of alternative energy, Mike Britt. "As early adopters of this technology, we are very pleased with the significant fuel economy and emissions reductions that come from the HHVs."