---

Secretary Slater Announces Hybrid Delivery Van Project Funding Awarded to NAVC

21 June 2000

Secretary Slater Announces Hybrid Delivery Van Project Funding Awarded to NAVC

    BOSTON - Today in a morning press conference with U.S. Department of 
Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater, the Northeast Advanced Vehicle 
Consortium (NAVC) announced that it has been funded by the DOT's Advanced 
Vehicle Technologies Program (AVP) to develop a hybrid-electric delivery van.  
The project goal is to develop a cleaner, more fuel efficient delivery van using 
state-of-the-art CNG hybrid technology that can meet the needs of commercial 
delivery service in an urban setting.

    Hybrid technology is already being used successfully in passenger vehicles
and buses; now this advanced technology will be used to cut fuel consumption
and emissions from a heavy-duty delivery van. Heavy-duty vehicle emissions are
coming under greater scrutiny for their impact on the nation's air quality.
And, with the rise in electronic commerce, urban heavy-duty vehicle traffic
will continue to rise.  Already the U.S. Post Office is finding that
electronic communications means its business is moving away from letter mail
toward package delivery.  Last year, the United Parcel Service reported a
37.1% increase in fourth quarter profits due to electronic commerce package
delivery.  "Increased online shopping means increased use of package delivery
services," said NAVC Executive Director Sheila Lynch. "It is vital to make the
delivery vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient in order to protect air
quality while meeting the needs of the digital economy."

    The prototype hybrid van will combine an electric motor with a natural gas
microturbine auxiliary power unit (APU).  The APU will allow the van to
achieve significantly better range than an all-electric van while still
maintaining very low emissions, according to the project's manager, Timeless
Technologies.  The delivery van and electric drive system are being provided
by Solectria Corporation; Capstone Turbine is providing the natural gas
microturbine.  The van will be tested in the U.S. Postal Service's Boston
fleet to ensure that the vehicle meets the needs of real-world delivery
service in urban areas.  Additional project partners include the Massachusetts
Port Authority and EVermont.

    The NAVC is a public-private partnership of companies, public agencies,
and university and federal laboratories working together to promote advanced
vehicle technologies in the Northeast United States.  The NAVC Board of
Directors is appointed by the eight Northeast governors and the mayor of New
York City.   Our participants have initiated over 50 projects, spanning a wide
range of technology areas including electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cell
propulsion systems, electric and natural gas refueling, energy storage and
management, and lightweight structural composites.  The DOT AVP is a
public/private partnership program that promotes advanced vehicle
technologies.