Azure Dynamics Corp, a developer of hybrid-electric and electric powertrains for commercial fleet vehicles, announced that Purolator Courier Ltd has altered and increased its existing purchase order for Azure hybrid delivery vans.
Purolator's amended purchase order was placed shortly after the August 8 funding announcement by the Ontario government. Ontario is investing $15 million over four years in a pilot project to encourage businesses to convert to more environmentally friendly technologies, such as hybrid power. The project will help make medium-duty hybrid trucks more affordable for commercial fleet operators.
In the initial purchase order (dated Sept 15, 2005), Azure supplied 19 HEVs to Purolator. Under terms of an amendment to the initial purchase order (dated Aug 3, 2006), Azure was to supply another 115 HEVs to Purolator. To date, 30 of these additional HEVs have been delivered to Purolator and are currently in service.
Under terms of the amended purchase order (dated Aug 14, 2007), Azure will supply the remaining 85 HEVs to Purolator on its new parallel hybrid-electric Ford E-450 platform. Further, Purolator has increased the order to include an additional 20 HEVs for a total of 105 HEVs on the Ford E-450 platform.
Azure expects to deliver all 105 Ford E-450 HEVs in the third and fourth quarters of 2008.