LOVELAND, Colo. — AmeriPride Services has taken delivery of its first fuel-efficient, hydraulic hybrid system, which will be put into service at one of the company’s Canadian Linen branches in Toronto. Featuring a 2014 Ford F59 chassis with a Morgan Olson Route Star walk-in van body, the vehicle is the first of its kind in AmeriPride’s 1,900-vehicle North American fleet.
Lightning Hybrids was chosen to provide the hybrid systems that the company says are “expected to significantly reduce fuel consumption, reduce brake maintenance costs and cut emissions for cleaner air.”
The new vehicle will achieve better fuel economy through its storage and reuse of braking energy, a feature not found in conventional, non-hybrid vehicles, according to AmeriPride.
“Testing this hydraulic hybrid is a part of a larger company initiative to reduce energy consumption and our carbon footprint,” says Brian Keegan, senior vice president of plant operations and supply chain for AmeriPride Services and Canadian Linen.
The company says it has replaced many of its cargo vans with fuel-efficient sedans, and has also reduced mileage through rerouting “a majority” of its service routes. Other efforts include reducing idling and speeding, implementing better training and increasing driver awareness.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].