HTUF
Meeting Highlights Industry Expansion, Vehicle Progress Last week's HTUF National
Meeting in Kalamazoo was the largest meeting to date and showed
attendees a new level of both industry and fleet involvement
in hybrid systems. Clearly, medium- and heavy-duty hybrids
are moving rapidly from prototypes (ones and twos) to pre-production
(tens, twenties and thirties). Production is already starting
in transit buses; work trucks look to be coming right behind.
There
were several key announcements. Not only did the Utility Working
Group announce their plans to deploy pre-production trucks
(see below), but International Truck and Engine announced
that it would be ready to produce commercial hybrid trucks
by 2006. Allison reported it will have more than 300 hybrid
transit buses operating in revenue service by the end of 2004,
Peterbilt
unveiled a hybrid hydraulic refuse truck
using an Eaton drive, Enova Systems showed their re-designed
hybrid electric Class 7 delivery tractor, and International
Truck and Engine and Eaton showed a Class 6 hybrid electric
beverage truck for the first time.
In
addition, fleets took part in spirited discussions on what
it would require to reduce hybrid prices further, and what
kinds of incentives (buy-downs, tax credits, etc.) would most
help them. Details on the results and next steps are coming
soon in the HTUF Hybrid DiaLog newsletter.
- Bill Van Amburg
HTUF
Utility Working Group Announces 20+ Truck Deployment The Utility
Hybrid Working Group announced its formal selection
of Eaton and International Trucks as the supplier team
to build 20+ Class 6/7 hybrid electric work trucks.
Currently 13 utility fleets across the United States
have agreed to purchase and place into service trucks
- representing the largest deployment to date of pre-production
hybrid trucks.
The
fleets developed joint performance requirements
for
a hybrid work truck and sent a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to truck makers and suppliers nationwide,
finally
selceting the Eaton/International proposal as the best
for their needs. The "validation" truck
will be tested this winter, and the first
of the pre-production
trucks should be delivered to fleets next summer. The
truck's capabilities include:
Fuel
economy improved 40-60%
Greatly
decreased emissions
Engine-off
operation at work sites (idle reduction)
25
kW electrical power generation capability
Meeets
or exceeds original truck driving performance
Nearly
250 Attendees Take Part A
total of 248 fleet and industry attendees took part
in the HTUF National Meting in Kalamazoo, a 45%R increase
over last year's meeting. Top trucks makers and suppliers
joined fleets for the technical briefings and for the
expanded ride and drive.
Attendees
To Get CD of Proceedings All
attendees of the HTUF National Meeting will receive
CD-ROMs over the next two weeks with the meeting proceedings,
including all presentations. We have received many comments
about the quality of the information presented. Please
let us know any additional needs you have. CDs
for Those who Missed the Meeting.
Miss the meeting but still want to keep up on the information
that was shared? CD-ROMs are available from WestStart:
contact Monica Alcaraz to order or click on the link
in the blue column.
Transit
Working Group One
of the key outcomes of the national meeting was a commitment
to form a transit hybrid bus working group, in partnership
with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Working
Group will focus on how to expand the use of hybrids
in transit applications, and help expand commercialization
that supports truck uses. Details on next steps are
coming soon.