Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

It’s been a long time since I first mentioned the idea of a hybrid truck. Since then things have been happening.

A brief search on Google provides this.

Additionally we have Peterbilt

August 22, 2007, Bellevue, Washington – PACCAR and Eaton Corporation announced today that they have entered into an agreement to jointly develop proprietary hybrid technology for heavy-duty commercial vehicles in North America. The innovative new products will be introduced exclusively in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks in the North American market, targeted for initial production by the end of 2009.

Kenworth,

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 26, 2008 – Kenworth will begin full production of medium duty, diesel-electric hybrid trucks this summer, the company announced today at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.

Kenworth offers the fuel-efficient, hybrid option on its new T270 Class 6 and T370 Class 7 conventional models and will produce the trucks at the PACCAR plant in Ste-Therese, Que. Kenworth’s goal is to enhance fuel economy by up to 30 percent in pickup and delivery applications and up to 50 percent in utility operations.

International

Navistar company (OTC: NAVZ), announced today that it is the first company to enter line production of hybrid commercial trucks. As diesel fuel prices continue their volatility and engine emissions requirements tighten, International Truck and Engine is now producing the International^® DuraStar™ Hybrid, a diesel hybrid electric medium-duty truck that provides customers with improved fuel efficiency and reduced engine emissions.

Volvo

Volvo’s announcement in March of this year that it would begin to make diesel hybrid lorries within 3 years comes as welcome news and is commendable. But there should be no surprise in this move, other than the fact that it has taken Volvo and the rest of the lorry industry so abysmally long to get their act together.

Mack

Hybrid technology got bigger in January as the first in a line of heavy-duty trucks powered by diesel-electric hybrid designs were introduced by the Volvo Group and Mack Trucks.

and Oshkosh

The Oshkosh Hybrid Truck

Oshkosh have produced an impressive Hybrid Truck and although this truck is focussed on military applications, it is just as useful in humanitarian and e.g. U.N. aid programs.
The technology used is a precursor for what to expect in commercial heavy truck applications.

A few comments on this truck.

This is my baby. I liiiiiiiike it. It’s gnarly awesome. I’ve got a “thing” about twin steer, and this has it. It’s also a series hybrid while all the others are parallel hybrids. I like this better.

I’m dreaming of one of these set up to be a heavy haul road truck.

Except for Peterbilt and Oshkosh most of the hybrid road tractors available in the US are class 7 and below. Peterbilt is a class 8. Volvo is currently overseas. Oshkosh is off road.

I’m looking forward to when I can get a class 8 series hybrid that I can use for heavy haul.