February 2009, Work Truck - Feature
Hybrid Large Trucks: the Road to Viability
By Chad Simon
Thirteen utility fleets that wanted to cut their dependence on foreign oil and combat global warming purchased and evaluated hybrid trucks through the help of WestStart-CALSTART. Consider them early stalwarts or trailblazers of an unproven technology in medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Work Truck surveyed five participating Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) fleet managers to learn how they have benefited from implementing hybrid trucks for their specific application.
- WestStart-CALSTART is a nonprofit organization that supports and accelerates the growth of advanced transportation technologies among both public and private sectors.
- The Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) is a national, multiyear, user-driven program that assists the commercialization of heavy-duty hybrid technologies. Operated by Bill Van Amburg, senior vice president of CALSTART, HTUF is supported by the U.S. Army’s National Automotive Center (NAC) and the Hewlett Foundation.
- HTUF Working Groups are targeted, user-driven teams made up of leaders from commercial and military fleets interested in using hybrid trucks in a specific application. The seven Working Groups are: Hybrid Utility Truck, Hybrid Parcel Delivery Truck, Hybrid Refuse Truck, Hybrid Bus, Plug-In Task Force, Incentives, and Class 8 Over the Road/Regional Delivery.
Tags: Alabama Power, Danny Kings, Dave Meisel, Duke Energy Corp., Efrain Ornelas, Florida Power & Light, George Survant, HTUF, HTUF Working Groups, hybrid, Hybrid Truck Users Form, Jordan Smith, Mike Allison, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, WestStart-CALSTART