Green Fleet: Electric Motors in Manhattan
The United States has more motor vehicles than licensed drivers to drive them. They contribute about a third of the country’s smog-polluted air; they also contribute to other forms of pollution, such as through oil and other pollutant fluids leaking onto roadways. These wash off into storm drains, rivers and bays. For the Manhattan district of New York, help is now at hand. Thanks to a new ‘green’ fleet of delivery vehicles rolled out in 2011, people can rest assured that Deutsche Post DHL is playing its part to reduce its impact on the environment.
The why and the when
The green fleet was announced on location in Manhattan in March 2011. DHL Express now operates 30 battery-powered electric vans and 50 hybrid trucks.
“It’s a real demonstration of the company’s commitment to help protect the environment,” Keith explains. “And the new vans and trucks are really getting noticed in the hustle and bustle of New York City. People regularly stop me and ask about them. I tell them that they cut carbon emissions and noise pollution. Being able to say that in heavily congested Manhattan is no mean thing as the city mayor is really pushing ‘green’ thinking.” With the vans being smaller, they’re a lot easier to navigate through heavy traffic, says Keith. “And I love the fact that they make less noise. But I really have to be careful. My van is so quiet that pedestrians hardly hear it!”
Cutting carbon emissions
The vehicles were manufactured by U.S.-based Azure Dynamics, a world leader in the development and production of hybrid electric and electric commercial vehicles. They will cut fossil fuel use and reduce carbon emissions by more than 50% annually compared with their conventional counterparts.
The multi-million dollar investment is an integral part of Deutsche Post DHL’s GoGreen program. The strategy is to improve the company’s carbon efficiency worldwide by 30% by 2020 based on 2007 levels.
