According to a recent press release, UPS is leading the shipping industry in ‘Green Technology’ by upgrading their fleet of trucks to Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles (HHV) which will deliver better fuel economy and have environmental benefits (fewer emissions, reduced CO2, etc). According to UPS, HHVs store energy by compressing hydraulic fluid under pressure in a large chamber – I assume this is then used to power the vehicle in lieu of using gasoline.
What does this all mean? 50% Better Fuel Efficiency and 40% Reduction in Emissions. Does that mean you be seeing a 50% reduction in the ‘gas tax’ UPS tacks onto your bill each month? Eh, don’t be so sure. Although the invest is claimed to ‘pay for itself’ within 3 years, it’ll probably be a while before those savings trickle down to you.