October 29, 2008—After 18 months of prototype testing, shipping giant UPS has ordered seven hydraulic hybrid vehicles in the first commercial purchase of the technology that combines a high-efficiency diesel engine with a hydraulic propulsion system.
The deal was announced in Atlanta’s Centennial Park by UPS, the US Environmental Protection Agency, diversified power management firm Eaton Corporation and truck and military vehicle-maker Navistar International Corporation – partners in the project to develop, road test and advance the vehicles toward market release.
Technology for the HHV was originally developed in an EPA lab. The federal agency worked with the other project partners to produce the prototype that in road tests yielded 45 to 50 percent improvement in fuel economy and a 30 percent reduction in C02, when compared to performance of conventional diesel delivery trucks, according to UPS.
“There is no question that hydraulic hybrids, although little known to the public, are ready for prime time use on the streets of America,” UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney said. “We are not declaring hydraulic hybrids a panacea for our energy woes, but this technology certainly is as promising as anything we’ve seen to date.”
For more information, see the UPS Web site.
