Ever since Nat "King" Cole implored Americans to get their kicks on Route 66, the highway has become synonymous with the freedom of the open road.
Stretching from Chicago all the way to Southern California, the highway stood for American prosperity and ambition. It defined a generation looking for adventure. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck dubbed it "the Mother Road," a fitting nickname, considering it birthed a new era of transportation in America.
It is in that spirit of American mobility that FedEx has launched the "Charge Up Route 66 " tour to show off its new fleet of all-electric vans. The company is unveiling the new van by charging its way along the historic trek — starting in Chicago and ending in Los Angeles — with stops in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Albuquerque along the way.
FedEx tapped Illinois-based Navistar to develop the first of the vans. The model is based on the Modec delivery van that has already proven successful for FedEx in Europe.
FedEx currently has about 1,800 alternative fuel vehicles hauling packages globally, but the new fleet would make them the first U.S. parcel service to put all-electric delivery vans to work in the States.
The first four vans are set to hit the streets of L.A. in June.
The breakneck pace of couriers and delivery trucks doesn't leave much time for the stopping and recharging that many electric vehicles require. That's why the new fleet of FedEx vans can hold an eight-hour charge, allowing couriers to finish an entire shift before having to recharge their vehicle.
The new fleet should help FedEx towards its ultimate goal of reducing overall vehicle fuel efficiency 20% by 2020.
"FedEx has a history of changing what's possible, both in the innovative services we offer customers and in the way we offer those services," said John Formisano, vice president, Global Vehicles, FedEx Express.
"We're making these investments, and invite others to join us, so that together we can speed the transition to a cleaner transportation system."
With their EV tour, FedEx hopes to attach a new kind of freedom to Route 66: freedom from fossil fuels.
You can track the van's progress on the "Charge Up Route 66 " tour by visiting the FedEx Electric Van Blog.
Be Well,
Jimmy
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