Soaring Diesel Prices Spur Interest In Hybrid Trucks

March 19, 2008

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

New EPA standards and $100-a-barrel oil are creating demand for hybrid big rigs, garbage trucks and dump trucks, even with the 35 percent premium over conventional vehicles, Forbes reports.

The appeal: hybrid trucks can deliver fuel savings of 5 percent to 60 percent, depending on how it is driven (hybrid power systems work best in vehicles that stop and start a lot like delivery trucks, garbage trucks and school and city buses). Long-haul vehicles can expect savings on the low end.

Every leading truck manufacturer plans to ramp up hybrid production as soon as possible, according to the article. Daimler, which owns Freightliner, plans to manufacture 1,500 hybrid trucks and produce a hybrid version of its Thomas-Built school bus, all using hybrid technology developed by Eaton. Eaton estimates that hybrids will make up about 10 percent of all new commercial truck sales in the U.S.

Last summer, Eaton announced that its medium-duty hybrid power systems were commercially available on the chassis of several major North American commercial vehicle manufacturers including International Truck and Engine Corporation, Kenworth Truck Co., Peterbilt Motors and Freightliner Corporation.

Second generation hybrids are also increasing adoption. New York City’s newer hybrid buses cost 40 percent less to maintain and 24 percent less to operate than previous hybrids, according to a recent report.

In the last few months, General Motors has received orders for more than 1,700 hybrid buses from transit agencies in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Minneapolis/St. Paul and DaimlerBuses North America received orders from New York City and Ottowa for 1,052 Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid transit buses. Last year, King County, Washington, was awarded a contract for the purchase of up to 500 articulated buses, most of which will be powered by General Motors’ 2-mode hybrid system.

UPS recently expanded its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles with the deployment of 50 hybrid-electric delivery trucks. Coke has also purchased hybrid delivery trucks recently.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Enhance Sustainability. Improve Profitability.

Learn how at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Survey Results: Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Reader Comments

Diesel hybrid technology offers the best of both worlds – combining the power and durability of a diesel engine with the regenerative braking of a hybrid. Users of the technology benefit from better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and lower maintenance costs. The Diesel Technology Forum did a webinar on diesel hybrid technology on March 13. Presentations from the webinar or a full recording of the session is available for downloading at http://www.dieselforum.org/resources/webinars/ for those who are interested in learning more about the technology.

Dawn Fenton | March 21st, 2008

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader