http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5127/?cid=3

FedEx Express, part of the FedEx logistics group, is making significant progress towards improving the fuel efficiency of its fleet by 20%.

The unit had set the goal for 2020, but has already made its fleet 16.6% more fuel efficient than it was in 2005.

So far, 20% of its diesel vehicle pickup and delivery fleet has been converted to more efficient and cleaner emission models, which meet the Environmental Protection Agency's diesel emission standards.

FedEx Express is also currently adding 87 all-electric trucks to its fleet, taking the count of all-electric vehicles to 130, as well as testing standard delivery trucks retrofitted with electric drivetrains.

The company is also purchasing 'right-size' engine vehicles like Mercedes-Benz's Sprint vans, which will make up more than 35% of its fleet by the end of 2013 totalling some 11,000 vehicles.

And it is also adding 114 Reach composite-body trucks manufactured by Utilimaster on an Isuzu Motors chassis to its fleet.

"Although we are less than halfway to the end date we set for ourselves, we have achieved 80% of our vehicle fuel efficiency goal as of the [end of] 2011, compared to our original baseline set in 2005," says Mitch Jackson, staff vice president of environmental affairs and sustainability at FedEx.

The company is now reevaluating its 2020 goal with the possibility of raising the original standard. It says it wants its efforts to accelerate the development of all-electric trucks in general, as well as improving its own fleet efficiency.

"While we naturally want to improve performance and reduce costs for FedEx, we also want to see all-electric trucks become more affordable and reliable for everyone from your local pizza parlour to other small businesses that deliver," says Jackson.

FedEx Express already operates all-electric trucks in London and Paris and will be rolling them out in California, Washington DC, New York and parts of Texas. Head-to-head tests of different electric trucks will take place in Chicago.