ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Environment Department is giving UPS (United Parcel Service) over $473,000 in grant money to replace 16 old delivery vehicles. UPS is also pitching in to cover the cost of the replacement vehicles, which run on compressed natural gas.
“At UPS, we believe in contributing positively to the communities in which we live and work. With over 18,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in our fleet, we are proud to collaborate with the New Mexico Environment Department to increase our number of renewable natural gas vehicles and make a difference on the road,” Ryan Bankerd, UPS Corporate Affairs director of sustainability, said in a press release. “This type of work helps drive our company’s advancement of lower-carbon solutions, reduce emissions and deliver real change.”
The grant money for the upgrades come via the federal Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded federal funding to New Mexico under the act, and New Mexico passed the funds to UPS.
“New Mexico has helped school districts and nonprofit organizations reduce their climate-warming emissions from their vehicle fleets,” New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a press release. “Now, UPS is following suit by retiring diesel-fueled vehicles and replacing them with cleaner vehicles.”
With the replacement of the 16 delivery vehicles, nitrogen oxide emissions will be cut by 9 tons over the lifecycle of the vehicles, according to the New Mexico Environment Department. Particulate matter will be reduced by over half a ton, the department adds.
