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April 11, 2011 7:30 AM, EDT

DHL said it is taking the first step toward establishing a delivery fleet in New York City that is powered entirely by alternative fuels, in a move that it said will reduce emissions by at least 50%.

The conversion from vehicles solely powered by petroleum fuels was announced March 31 by Frank Appel, chief executive officer of DHL parent Deutsche Post.

The DHL fleet is scheduled to be in place by September, using 30 battery-powered electric vans and 50 hybrid trucks.

“Sustainability, especially the reduction of carbon emissions, is a central aspect of our business and an integral part of our corporate strategy. As the global leader in logistics, we are ideally positioned to foster climate protection in order to save our environment for future generations,” Appel said.

“Customers worldwide are increasingly demanding greener logistics, sustainable business procedures and initiatives like the one we are launching today.”

“New Yorkers can have cleaner air and efficient freight delivery, thanks to this effort to reduce the emissions from the delivery trucks our just-in-time economy depends on,” said David Bragdon, director of long-term planning and sustainability for New York City.

Azure Dynamics is producing the electric vans and the hybrid trucks, whose total cost wasn’t disclosed. Ford Motor Co.’s E450 chassis are being used in combination with Azure’s hybrid and electric components, as DHL’s current E450 fleet is converted to hybrids.

Ford’s electric powertrain will be integrated with Azure’s technology to power the Ford Transit Connect vans that are reported to be nearly silent when operated.

DHL said it intends to improve its carbon efficiency 30% from 2007 levels worldwide by 2020, a process known as GoGreen, the company’s statement said.

DHL offers what it terms a “carbon-neutral shipping service” that calculates emissions and offsets that support climate protection programs. Under the GoGreen program, emissions from all shipments are offset by investments in those protection programs, the company said.

Over the past 12 months, DHL said it has also upgraded its alternative fuel fleet in Europe, Asia and the Americas, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay.