In a July 10 press conference at Milan’s Palazzo Marino, Edoardo Croce, councilor for Transport and Environment of Milan Municipality, praised FedEx and Iveco for working together to find solutions for today’s environmental challenges.
The technology is new to light commercial vehicles and was developed by Iveco, a leading manufacturer of commercial trucks. FedEx has been actively working with Iveco in the development of the technology and will be the first company to test it.
Some of the new vehicles deployed in Italy may move to other European markets after the initial break-in period.
FedEx developed the first commercially-viable hybrid truck with the Environmental Defense Fund and the Eaton Corporation.
FedEx will now operate more than 170 hybrid vehicles around the globe, including the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in
In March of 2008, the FedEx hybrid vehicles had accumulated more than two million miles of delivery route service.
“We are proud of our record and commitment in advancing clean technology vehicles. The introduction of these ten vehicles to our European fleet is a smart strategic investment and will help drive the commercial development of new technologies for industry,” said Robert W. Elliott, president, Europe, Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Africa, FedEx Express.
The vehicles launched in Italy consume, on average, up to 30% less fuel compared to standard vehicles. Fuel savings and reductions in CO2 emissions will be monitored over the break-in period. The Iveco vans have demonstrated they are ideal for commercial use because of their maneuverability. Following driver training using these vehicles, FedEx couriers were overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the performance, functionality, and ease-of-use of the vehicles.