UPS plans to invest more than US$90m in expanding its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet, with the addition of 390 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors and terminal trucks, and 50 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles.
The carrier will also build an additional six CNG fueling stations throughout the USA and Canada, in Ontario, California; Orlando, Florida; Salina, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Greensboro, North Carolina; and in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
Mark Wallace, senior vice president global engineering and sustainability, UPS, said, “With more than 4,400 natural gas vehicles and a network of fueling stations, UPS has had great results using natural gas as an alternative fuel in our fleet.
“We know the importance of investing in natural gas globally for our fleet and the alternative fuel market. In 2016, we used more than 61 million gallons of natural gas in our ground fleet, which included 4.6 million gallons of renewable natural gas. This helped us to avoid the use of conventional gas and diesel, and decreased CO? emissions by 100,000 metric tons.”
UPS invested US$100m in CNG fueling stations and vehicles in 2016, bringing its total investment in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to US$750m since 2009.
Renewable natural gas (RNG), also known as bio-methane, can be derived from many abundant and renewable sources, including decomposing organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment and agriculture. It is then distributed through the natural gas pipeline system, making it available for use as LNG or CNG.
UPS has driven more than one billion miles since 2000 with its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. Through its Rolling Laboratory, UPS uses a research-based approach to determine the right alternative fuel solutions for the location, route and driving environments.
March 20, 2017