UPS Alternative-Fuel Vehicle Press Conference

Oh no - I lost the sound. Not sure if it's just my computer or not.

Please repeat the questions.

Please repeat the questions.

We still cannot hear the questions. Please ask the speakers to repeat them.

Video is playing great, but Paul's right, you can't hear the questions. Would be best if they repeated them on the mic!

For all those that had problems with hearing the questions, the video team tried to get a mic to those of us asking questions, but some asked questions off-mic and the panel didn't repeat. However, I'll be covering all the information that might have been missed, as well as a full report on my afternoon with the folks from UPS, Eaton, Navistar, and the EPA in subsequent emails.

In the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions. No microphone needed!
-Tom, reporting from Atlanta

hi. are you guys going to post an archive of the conference here?

Tom - thanks for being there. 7 vehicles doesn't sound like a while lot to me, but I guess it's a start. Any word on their long term plans for even more creative things? Like mini-electics in major cities? Aerodynamics for their long-haul fleet?

Hey Terry,

You're right that 7 vehicles is just start. The true potential of the technology comes when it is scaled up. The initiative from UPS is indeed the start in that effort. After testing the first 7 trucks ("package cars"), UPS will use the data collected to plan a continued roll-out of HHV.

I did get a chance to talk with David Abney, the COO for UPS, and he talked of the general commitment of the company to alternative fuel vehicles. I'll have more information about HHV and other technologies in my next couple of posts.

mk - yes, I think we will try to get an archive of the news conference.

I would love to know:
? the losses of the hydrolic transmission relative to mechanical transmissions
? the percentage of energy that is retrieved from brakes
?the efficiency of the regenative breaking compared to electrical approaches
?the amount of power stored
?the savings of this approach over electric hybrid (equipment, maintainance, run efficiency)