The Times to Collect Data for Three Years for the New York Power Authority, DaimlerChrysler, Electric Power Research Institute and Con Edison
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2007--The New York Times
announced today that it has been selected to receive the first
medium-duty plug-in hybrid vehicle on the East Coast of the United
States and the first of its kind in New York State as part of a
commercial fleet performance demonstration and technology evaluation
process.
The van, a Dodge Sprinter plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV),
will be housed at The New York Times printing plant in College Point,
Queens. It will be used to transport New York Times newspapers to The
Times's headquarters in midtown Manhattan, as well as to different
locations in the New York City area. It will also travel to The
Times's plant in Edison, N.J.
The Dodge Sprinter plug-in hybrid was made available to The Times
by a partnership between DaimlerChrysler, the New York Power Authority
(NYPA), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Con Edison. The
partnership was created to test and evaluate plug-in hybrid technology
in real world driving environments. DaimlerChrysler is the only
automaker to test plug-in hybrid technology with customers within the
United States. EPRI studies indicate that fleet applications offer the
best opportunity for early demonstration of plug-in hybrids.
"We are proud that The New York Times is the first major entity in
the State of New York with a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in our
fleet," said Tom Lombardo, vice president, production, The New York
Times. "When we were approached by NYPA and DaimlerChrysler, we knew
immediately that we wanted to be involved. We are delighted to be
supporting the use of clean energy, sustainability and advances in
plug-in hybrid technology."
"Alliances such as this are necessary for new technologies to move
forward," said Mark Chernoby, vice president - advance vehicle
engineering, Chrysler Group. "The daily operation of The New York
Times Dodge Sprinter plug-in hybrid will give DaimlerChrysler the
valuable real world experience needed for hybrid powertrain and
lithium-ion battery development."
"The New York Power Authority has a long record of green
initiatives to help improve air-quality in the New York City area and
we are fully committed to putting emission-free and reduced emission
vehicles on the City's streets," said Timothy S. Carey, president and
CEO, NYPA. "We are especially pleased to help demonstrate a hybrid
electric vehicle that is so versatile you can plug it into the house
to charge it up. In the future, vehicles like this one could be used
to power a house in the event of a power interruption."
"The New York Times Hybrid Sprinter evaluation represents an
important milestone in EPRI's PHEV research and development program
that began in 1999," said Arshad Mansoor, vice president, power
delivery and markets sector, EPRI. "The test data collected will help
determine the technologies that need to be incorporated into a
production design, facilitating the effort to make PHEV's commercially
available."
"Con Edison's research and development group recognizes the
potential that hybrid plug-in electric vehicles have to make a
profound impact on the environment," said Randolph S. Price, vice
president for environment, health and safety, Con Edison. "Electric
vehicles have the potential to dramatically lessen our country's
dependence on foreign oil and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As
the electric supplier for nine million New Yorkers, Con Edison is on
the lookout for new, environmentally friendly applications for the
electric grid."
Plug-in hybrids can operate in all-electric or hybrid mode. They
have larger batteries than traditional hybrids, which allow them to
travel long distances in electric-only mode. The Dodge Sprinter
plug-in hybrid has an electric range of up to 20 miles. On short urban
routes with a lot of stop-and-go driving the vehicle can operate for
most of the day in zero-emission electric mode. In hybrid mode the
vehicle performs like a traditional hybrid, with improved fuel economy
and lower emissions compared to a conventional diesel or gasoline
vehicle. The plug-in technology lends itself to commercial
applications where the vehicle returns to base after each shift to be
plugged into the power grid. The New York Times PHEV will be recharged
overnight, a very good use of off-peak, low cost electricity.
Additionally, the Dodge Sprinter:
- Plugs into 220-volt AC outlet
- Is equipped with advanced lithium-ion battery technology
- Has a regenerative braking system
- Offers improved fuel economy and lower emissions with
clean-diesel technology
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company
with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the
International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily
newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York
City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com,
Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance
society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news,
information and entertainment.
About NYPA
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is the nation's largest
state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating facilities and more
than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. NYPA operates without
the use of tax dollars or state credit, financing its operations with
revenues earned from sales of electricity and through the sale of
bonds and notes for capital projects. NYPA supplies electricity to
government agencies, community-owned electric systems and rural
electric cooperatives, private utilities and to private sector
businesses and non-profit institutions. NYPA is a leader in promoting
energy-efficiency, new energy technologies and electric-drive
transportation initiatives.
About DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler is unique in the automotive industry: its product
portfolio ranges from small cars to sports cars and luxury sedans; and
from versatile vans to heavy duty- trucks and comfortable coaches.
DaimlerChrysler's passenger car brands include, Chrysler, Jeep(R),
Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart. Commercial vehicle brands
include Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Setra.
Technological development in alternative fuels and powertrain within
the company's business segments marks a commitment from
DaimlerChrysler to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in a
variety of vehicles.
About EPRI
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), with major locations
in Palo Alto, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn., was
established in 1973 as an independent, nonprofit center for public
interest energy and environmental research. EPRI brings together
members, participants, the Institute's scientists and engineers, and
other leading experts to work collaboratively on solutions to the
challenges of electric power. These solutions span nearly every area
of electricity generation, delivery, and use, including health,
safety, and environment. EPRI's members represent over 90% of the
electricity generated in the United States. International
participation represents nearly 15% of EPRI's total research,
development, and demonstration program.
About Con Edison
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:
ED), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with
approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $27 billion in
assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more
than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New
York. For additional financial, operations and customer service
information, visit Con Edison's Web site at www.ConEd.com.
CONTACT: For The New York Times Company:
Abbe Serphos, 212-556-4425;
serphos@nytimes.com
or
For New York Power Authority:
Brian Warner, 914-390-8183; brian.warner@nypa.gov
Michael Saltzman, 914-390-8181; michael.saltzman@nypa.gov
or
For DaimlerChrysler:
Nick Cappa, 248 202 8039; nc503@dcx.com
or
For EPRI:
Clay C. Perry, 202.293.6184; clperry@epri.com
or
For Con Edison:
Chris Olert, 212-460-4111; olertc@coned.com
This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com
SOURCE: The New York Times
