2Sustain

New research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows that electric vehicles are not just environmentally friendly; they also have the potential to improve the bottom line for many kinds of businesses.

Granted, the up-front costs of electric vehicles can be significant. A company looking to purchase an electric-powered delivery truck today will likely have to shell out nearly $150,000 –compared to about $50,000 for the same kind of truck with a standard internal-combustion engine.

But, the researchers at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) found that electric vehicles used to make deliveries on an everyday basis in big cities can cost 9 to 12 percent less to operate than trucks powered by diesel engines. What’s more, as battery costs continue to drop, the business case for electric vehicles will only get better, according to Jarrod Goentzel, director of the Renewable Energy Delivery Project at CTL and one of four co-authors of the new study.

The CTL study was conducted using data collected by the international office supplier Staples, as well as ISO New England, the nonprofit firm that runs New England’s electric power grid.

Using that data, the researchers modeled the costs for a fleet of 250 delivery trucks, and they examined alternate scenarios in which the whole fleet used one of three kinds of motors: purely electric engines, hybrid gas-electric engines and conventional diesel engines.

The researchers analyzed outcomes if the trucks in the fleet were driven 70 miles a day for 253 work days per year, with diesel gasoline costing $4 per gallon. They found that: (more…)

Last week, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the Nissan Green Program 2016 (NGP 2016), a new six-year environmental plan that will help the company reduce its carbon footprint, shift to renewable energy and increase the diversity of resources it uses.

By the end of fiscal year 2016, the company wants to be a leader in: (more…)

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, is expanding its fleet of fuel efficient vehicles.

This summer, FedEx Express will:

• place 24 new all-electric vehicles into service, adding 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,

• add more hybrid-electrics,

• pilot composite vehicles made from recycled rubber material, resin, fiberglass and poly core and

• upgrade more than a tenth of its conventional vehicle fleet to more energy-efficient vehicles.

The 24 new all-electric vehicles will be analyzed to further our understanding of all-electric technology and its demands on the energy grid. For example: (more…)

Aramark Uniform Service (AUS) is the first commercial uniform provider to introduce hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) into its fleet.

As part of its commitment to protecting and improving the environment, AUS has already begun the rollout of 25 hybrid stepvans. By spring of this year, the company plans to have 78 HEVs deployed in service routes throughout 28 states.

“Our team continues to proactively introduce environmentally sound practices in all of our operations,” said Brad Drummond, President of Aramark Uniform Services. ”The addition of hybrid technology to our fleet services will complement all of our programs designed to reduce our environmental impact.”

The HEVs use the combination of an energy-efficient diesel engine and a battery-driven electric motor. Compared to a standard diesel model, each hybrid: (more…)

The first “green shoots” signaling what could become an energy technology revolution are now visible across the globe, according to the new study, Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP) 2010,  recently released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The IEA report says that these early signs of low-carbon future include: (more…)