Earth Equity News

After Initial Promise, Commercial Hybrid Trucks Stall. By Matthew L. Wald, NYTimes, April 27, 2008. "Once upon a time, hybrids were going to rule commercial vehicles. In May 2003, when gasoline was $1.50 a gallon, FedEx was predicting that it would have 30,000 hybrids on the road in a few years. But today, all companies together have only about 300. On paper, commercial vehicles, not private cars, should be the 'killer app' for hybrid technology. Delivery trucks operate in stop-and-go traffic, where hybrids excel. Commercial vehicles drive many more hours a day than family cars do, going many more miles in a year and using more fuel for each mile, thus multiplying the opportunities for saving fuel. And with gasoline at about $3.50 a gallon, and diesel around $4, the shift to hybrids should go faster."