Photo Highlights

FedEx Express, Environmental Defense and Eaton
Introduce Hybrid Electric Truck

Jim Sweetnam, senior vice president and group executive of Eaton's Truck business, discusses the company's innovative hybrid electric powertrain and Eaton's relationship with FedEx Express and Environmental Defense to bring a low-emission, high-efficiency hybrid electric truck to market. FedEx Express announced plans at a May 20, 2003 press event in Washington, D.C. to purchase 20 hybrid electric delivery trucks. The vehicles will begin operation later this year and early into 2004 in four yet-to-be-named U.S. cities.

David Bronczek, president of FedEx Express, states that FedEx Express is "proud to be the first company to make a long-term market commitment to develop and utilize hybrid delivery trucks" with the introduction of the FedEx Express OptiFleet E700. He said the project's environmental and business gains "signal a revolution in truck technology and set a new standard for the industry." The program has the potential to replace the company's 30,000 medium duty trucks over the next 10 years.

Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, explains how his organization initiated discussions with FedEx three years ago to create an environmentally progressive truck "that will deliver cleaner and healthier air, reduce oil dependency and reduce climate change impacts." The FedEx Express hybrid electric vehicle will decrease particulate emissions by 90 percent, reduce smog-causing emissions by 75 percent and increase fuel efficiency by 50 percent.

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) congratulates FedEx Express, Environmental Defense and Eaton for launching an advanced technology vehicle that is "a bellwether for the rest of the nation and the world." Hatch explains his sponsorship of the CLEAR ACT (Clean Efficient Automobiles Resulting from Advanced Car Technologies) Act, "which focuses on the very best emerging technologies to help our citizens enjoy the health benefits of cleaner air sooner and to help us reduce our consumption of foreign oil sooner than would otherwise be possible."

Kevin Beaty, business unit manager of Eaton's hybrid electric powertrain program, explains how the ground-breaking technology effectively combines a diesel engine and electric motor. The system uses lithium ion batteries to capture and store energy during the regenerative braking phase of the operation and then provide electric power to the motor for future acceleration.