Canadian Linen, a subsidiary of AmeriPride Services, says initial results from its pilot project with XL Hybrids Inc., which provided the company with Chevy Express vans equipped with hybrid-electric powertrains, show a 20% reduction in fuel and greenhouse gas emissions and a payback period totaling less than half of the vehicles' lifespan.
The pilot program began in August in Toronto, representing XL Hybrids' first business in Canada. The company has used the vans at off-site service centers to deliver and pick up special orders that are not part of regular routes, to visit customers and to assist on routes if other trucks require maintenance. Each hybrid van is expected to drive approximately 20,000 miles annually.
‘It's our responsibility to consider and pilot programs using alternative fuel options and support the advancement of these new technologies,’ says Naiem Nairouz, senior vice president of Canadian operations at Canadian Linen. ‘We hope it will reduce our fuel costs and lower our exposure to fuel-price rate increases.’
XL Hybrids recently unveiled its XL3 product release for model-year 2014 vehicles, which is available as a ship-thru option in the U.S. and Canada.
