(Photo Credit: Business Wire)The California Air Resources Board (CARB) gave approval for commercial and municipal electric fleet company XL to sell hybrid electric Ford F-250 pickup trucks in the state.
XL, whose customers include companies like Coca-Cola and Verizon as well as major US cities, says that its hybrid-equipped Ford F-250 improves fuel economy by an average of 25%, while reducing CO2 emissions by 20%, providing both an economic and environmental advantage for fleets in North America.
“The XLH system is helping us to be in line with the California greenhouse gas reduction standards for the vehicles we use in the County,” said Mike Quan, CPM for the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department – Fleet Services. “And the XL Link telematics program will allow us to measure and analyze speed, idling, vehicle drive cycle, CO2 emissions reductions, and MPG.”
Working with Ford, General Motors, and Isuzu to electrify thousands of commercial trucks, vans, and shuttles, Boston-based XL says its technology can help customers increase fuel economy by between 25 to 50%, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between 20 and 33%.
“The California Air Resources Board and other organizations continue to pursue the statewide goals for reducing greenhouse gases to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and part of the burden will rest on the transportation sector to reduce emissions,” XL says. “Many commercial and public fleets are deploying electrified fleet vehicles to meet these goals.”
In other CARB-related news, 35 California mayors submitted a letter on Thursday to the board expressing support for accelerating the transition to 100% zero-emission buses. This is what the proposed Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) measure aims to do by 2040, Utility Dive reported.
“The market and demand for electric buses is rapidly growing,” the mayors wrote. “There are 39 transit agencies with over 130 buses in California, and more than half of them are either operating zero-emission buses or have them on order. A growing list of agencies are planning to go 100% zero-emission, including Los Angeles, the largest fleet on the west coast.”
CARB is expected to vote on the ITC next month, which could lead to another historic clean energy mandate for California, Utility Dive’s Iulia Gheorghiu wrote. Earlier this year, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously to update the state’s building code, requiring rooftop solar panels on all new apartment building and condo construction starting on January 1, 2020.
