PHOENIX – Now
that hybrids have a firm green foothold on the market for cars and light
trucks, they are moving into medium- and heavy-duty trucks. And while they are
still expensive, they are getting more economical by the day as diesel prices
continue at or near record levels, according to The Arizona Republic.
Just about every manufacturer of medium- to heavy-duty
trucks, including majors like Freightliner LLC, Navistar International Corp.,
Kenworth Truck Co., and Peterbilt Motors Co., are developing or producing
larger hybrid diesel-electric trucks, according to Robert Clarke, president of
the Truck Manufacturers Association in Washington,
D.C. Several companies began
producing them this year.
Hybrid diesel-electric trucks are expensive, but
manufacturers say the vehicles can save 30 to 60 percent on fuel costs,
depending on how they are used. They also reduce diesel emissions and should
help quiet truck and bus noises. Dealers expect the costs to come down in time.
Clarke said the diesel-electric technology is ideal for
delivery and garbage trucks and buses and other stop-and-go urban uses because
the more the vehicles stop, the more their batteries get charged. The
technology has been around for some time, but mostly for mining and military
uses. Like cars, hybrid trucks rely more on electric power at low speeds.
Some say that a diesel-electric bucket truck could reduce
its idling time by 85 percent and save up to 60 percent in fuel. But, so far, the
diesel-electric hybrids cost up to 60 percent more than a comparable
diesel-only truck.
One big advantage the hybrids offer is that they are quieter
because they can idle on electric power. Electric motors could be used when
workers are lifted in buckets to work on power lines or streetlights, according
to The Arizona Republic.
The diesel-electric hybrids are just one of the green
options at which manufacturers are looking. In addition to making regular
diesel trucks more efficient, less polluting and quieter every year, they are
starting to look at producing hydraulic diesels and trucks that use liquefied
natural gas instead of diesel.
