2Sustain

Earlier this month, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America announced the addition of ten new trucks to its growing all-electric fleet – a move that pushes the company closer to its goal of becoming the most fuel-efficient commercial fleet in the country.

Frito-Lay is working with Smith Electric Vehicles, the nation’s top manufacturer of battery-electric commercial trucks and a leader in the development of commercial electric trucks designed to operate at peak effectiveness in urban environments. All told, Frito-Lay says it plans to deploy 176 all-electric vehicles in the US and Canada this year.

Some benefits of these trucks include: (more…)

Late last month, UPS released the latest edition of its annual sustainability report, and once again, the company has managed to reduce the amount of fuel it’s using to deliver each package in the United States.

Interestingly, the company’s US package volume rose 1.8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, and yet UPS reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package by 3.3 percent. The company attributed the improvement to:

• deploying the right vehicle on the right routes,
• using technology to minimize the miles driven and
• focusing on how behavior can affect fuel use.

All told, technology has enabled UPS to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes. As remarkable as it sounds, UPS estimates that distance is the equivalent of 251,987 trips to the International Space Station.

How, exactly, has the company used technology to reduce fuel consumption? According to a press release, UPS has specifically improved: (more…)

Last week, Kohl’s Department Stores released its first annual corporate sustainability report.

The report, available at www.kohlsgreenscene.com, includes updates on the company’s primary environmental strategies: (more…)

By the end of 2011, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division will have the largest fleet of commercial all-electric trucks in North America.

Frito-Lay will be rolling out five new electric trucks in New York City this month. 21 more will be deployed this year. After that, an additional 150 will join the fleet next year.

The trucks, designed by Smith Electric Vehicles, generate zero tailpipe emissions and operate for up to 100 miles on a single charge. Smith Electric is a leader in the development of commercial electric trucks designed to operate at peak effectiveness in urban environments, and the company produces the Newton, which is the only all-electric commercial truck on the market. (more…)

Even though a federal judge is expected to lift the injunction that has stalled the Clean Truck Program at the Port of Los Angeles, officials there said last week that they will not immediately enforce a ban on freight haulers who don’t comply with the program’s strict requirements.

According to dailybreeze.com, the Port officials are delaying the ban so that trucking companies have enough time to comply with provisions of the program that were deemed last month to be legal by a US District Judge. (more…)