WalMart Stores Inc. on Monday put a new spotlight on natural gas-powered vehicles - this time on trucks.
The world's largest retailer said it plans to test four models of heavy-duty commercial trucks powered by either hybrid engines or alternative fuels.
Test trucks operating out of a Southern California distribution center will use liquid natural gas, and others from a distribution center near Phoenix will be converted to run on waste cooking grease from WalMart stores.
Dallas; Houston; Atlanta; Apple Valley, Calif.; and the Washington-Baltimore operations will each test one diesel-electric hybrid truck.
WalMart, which operates one of the largest private truck fleets in the world, said the new trucks are part of its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.
WalMart said it has surpassed a three-year goal in 2008 to make its fleet 25 percent more efficient. Now it plans to double its fleet efficiency by 2015 from its 2005 starting point.
The new technologies will be tested throughout this year.
Last November, T. Boone Pickens met with Lee Scott, then WalMart's chief executive, about converting the company's fleet of 7,200 trucks to natural gas.
Pickens, who owns part of a company that supplies natural gas to vehicles, has been pushing natural gas cars and buses since the early 1990s. More recently, he made it one of his key measures in a campaign to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
In addition to lobbying, the legendary oilman and hedge fund manager is footing the bill for a large television ad budget. He also is developing a wind farm.
Scott, who retired from the CEO post on Sunday but continues as chairman, started his career in WalMart's distribution and transportation operations. He led the company's green efforts and gained attention when the chain started selling millions of energy-efficient light bulbs.
WalMart was also one of the first retailers to building energy-efficient test stores, which are in McKinney and Colorado.
Last November, WalMart also said it would buy 15 percent of the electricity for Texas facilities from a Duke Energy wind farm.
will evaluate heavy-duty commercial trucks running on different types of alternative fuels.
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