WAUKESHA, WI - Odyne Systems, LLC, a clean technology company that develops and manufactures hybrid drive systems for medium and heavy duty trucks, participated May 10 in the   Children’s Tulip Parade in Holland Michigan, a featured event in the 83^rd Tulip Festival. The parade included children from over 60 schools and agencies and is believed to be the first in the nation featuring all hybrid and electric vehicles towing floats in a longstanding community parade.

The parade is part of a weeklong celebration known as the Tulip Festival, which dates back to 1929 and draws over 100,000 people from around the world to see 6 million tulips in bloom. The week features multiple parades, pageantry, costumes and Dutch Dancers interfacing throughout the community for the duration of the festival. Tulip Time Festival has been recognized as a top 20 event in the world by the International Festival and Events Association, a Top 100 event in North America by the American Bus Association, and was named America’s Best Small Town Festival by Reader’s Digest. 

A Ford F-750 chassis, featuring the Odyne Hybrid Power system and Johnson Controls lithium-ion batteries manufactured in Holland, towed a community float with tulips, wooden shoes and youth from the Ottawa Area Center, an agency supporting children with special needs.

Sold through a worldwide distribution network, the Odyne advanced plug-in hybrid propulsion system, available on Class 4-8 trucks over 14,000 gross vehicle weight, can be applied to a wide variety of new and existing commercial work vehicles. The system, designed to be robust for demanding work truck applications, reduces fuel consumption by up to 50%, depending on duty cycle, reduces emissions and provides quieter operation at the work site.