MEMPHIS, TN - FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. has ordered 51 additional gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, bringing its total fleet of hybrid electric and electric vehicles to 325.

Azure Dynamics is providing the additional vans, which are scheduled for delivery by the end of this year.

Most of the new FedEx gasoline-electric vehicles will be put into service at a Bronx, N.Y., station, making it the first FedEx all-hybrid facility with about 100 trucks, according to the company.

"Even during a challenging fiscal year, FedEx has continued to make investments in hybrid electric and electric vehicles a priority because of the long-term value in vehicle technologies that reduce fuel costs and pollution," said John Formisano, vice president of Global Vehicles, FedEx Express. "FedEx now operates seven different hybrid or electric truck models around the globe, demonstrating that commercial delivery vans can reduce pollution and increase efficiency without any sacrifice in performance and durability."

With its electric-launch assist, engine-off at idle, and regenerative braking, the FedEx Azure gasoline-electric step-vans are well-suited for the tough start-and-stop conditions endured in high-traffic areas. As a result, FedEx expects a fuel efficiency improvement of 30 percent while also reducing its carbon footprint.

Twenty FedEx Azure Balance Hybrid Electric gasoline step-vans are already in service across the FedEx Express delivery network in California. Overall, FedEx currently operates 274 hybrid electric and electric vehicles around the globe, and 1,780 alternative fuel vehicles and equipment. The addition of these 51 vehicles takes FedEx to a total of 325 hybrid electric and electric vehicles, and more than 1,800 alternative fuel vehicles and equipment. The FedEx hybrid fleet has logged more than four million miles of revenue service since being introduced in 2004, reducing fuel use by 150,000 gallons and carbon dioxide emissions by 1,521 metric tons.

This summer, FedEx converted 92 existing trucks to hybrid-electrics in its delivery fleet - the first of its standard FedEx delivery trucks retrofitted to hybrid-electric systems.

One of the largest commercial fleets in the country, FedEx ranks #5 on Automotive Fleet's 2009 Top 300 Commercial Fleets and Top 100 Truck Fleets listings, in addition to its position as #23 on the Top 50 Hybrid Fleets list.

John Formisano, FexEx VP of Global Vehicles, was recently honored as one of 20 commercial fleet representatives for the first-ever Fleet Environmental Leadership Awards at the 2009 Green Fleet Conference.