The U. S. Postal Service announced it is partnering with General Motors and joining Chevy's Project Driveway market test to report how fuel cell vehicles operate under demanding conditions. The USPS will deploy two hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles on regular routes six days a week in Irvine, CA, and at another location to be announced.
Here's Green Car Advisor's take: U.S. Postal Service Extends Market Testing of Chevrolet Equinox Fuel-Cell Vehicle
Image: Jamie Rector for General Motors
cah11705 says:
06:04 AM, 07/24/08
now that i think about it, it would make sense to use hybrids as postal vehicles because there is so much stop and go and slow speeds it would save loads of gas
pserfass says:
12:55 PM, 07/24/08
You're right, hybrids are perfect for stop and go driving and the Equinox takes advantage of that. It has a regnerative braking system that is a part of what GM calls a "mild-hybrid configuration" which uses 35 kW of NiMH batteries to capture braking energy.
Most people don't realize that a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is perfect for incorporating both traditional hybrid systems (capturing energy from regenerative braking a decelleration) and in some cases even a plug-in system. They're all electric systems that can go together. This is just one of the many ways hydrogen technologies can work well with other alternative technologies.
For more information on how hydrogen relates to you, I invite you to find out more at www.H2andYou.org.
-Patrick Serfass, Hydrogen Education Foundation
estreka says:
01:58 PM, 07/24/08
The problem with hybrid or fuel cell technology as a delivery vehicle is space. If you're just delivering a pizza, that's one thing, but if you need to deliver a truckload of mail, the lack of space isn't really beneficial against a standard wagon or hatchback.
cargeek5 says:
10:04 AM, 08/ 4/08
smart move by gm. they are getting public testing plus public viewing. i know exactly what my mail man drives.