UPS Launches Hydraulic-Hybrid Propulsion into Chicago Service
United Parcel Service (UPS) has begun converting 50 of its gasoline-engine delivery trucks in the Chicago-metro area to hydraulic-hybrid propulsion. The first converted vehicles recently entered service equipped with Lightning Hybrids’ hydraulic hybrid system featuring an energy recovery system (ERS).
A hybrid hydraulic vehicle blends two propulsion systems to provide benefits including improved fuel economy and emissions reductions. According to UPS, the standard-gasoline-fueled ICEs are combined with Lightning Hybrids’ ERS, a system designed for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with a front-engine/rear-drive layout, therefore suitable for this subset of the UPS fleet.