Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), one of the largest utilities in the United States, has taken delivery of the first digger derrick featuring an advanced Odyne plug-in hybrid propulsion system that will lower fuel costs up to 50 percent, reduce emissions, and help create a quiet, safe working environment with good worksite communications.

The plug-in hybrid system uses energy from a large advanced battery system to improve efficiency and power during driving, operate quietly in an all-electric mode at the jobsite, and is recharged using cleaner domestically produced electricity from the grid.

ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. The Terex Commander 4042 digger derrick features a DUECO, Inc. flatbed on an IH 4300 chassis and will be used to maintain the electrical grid within the City of Chicago.

The hybrid digger derrick was funded in part by a $4 million award ComEd received in federal economic stimulus funding to expand its alternative-fuel fleet. ComEd received a $1.5 million grant from the City of Chicago that stems from $15 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding awarded to the city by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under its Clean Cities Grant program.

"Diesel vehicles and equipment are significant contributors to air pollution and greenhouse gas emission in Chicago. By adopting innovative vehicle technologies, such as ComEd's new hybrid truck, we can improve the health of our residents and save money on fuel costs," the City of Chicago's Chief Sustainability Officer Karen Weigert said.

A leader in plug-in hybrid technology, Odyne has developed proprietary and patented hybrid technology combining reliable electric power conversion, power control and energy storage technology with Remy advanced electric propulsion motors, modular Johnson Controls lithium-ion battery systems and other robust, automotive quality components. The Odyne plug-in hybrid drive system reduces fleet operating and maintenance costs and, depending on duty cycle, enables large trucks to obtain fuel economy improvements of up to 50% or greater compared to traditional diesel engines. Odyne hybrid systems are modular and can be applied and retrofitted to a wide range of work vehicles.

Joe Dalum, President of Odyne Systems, LLC noted, "We are excited to bring this advance in technology to ComEd and the communities it serves. The Odyne Hybrid Power system is the new benchmark for hybrid systems, with unique features for optimum performance."