Independent test results involving the International trucks used in hybrid utility field tests showed a 40 to 60 percent decrease in the amount of fuel used, as well as emissions reductions.
At $2.70 a gallon for fuel, this potentially could save as much as $4,500 a year, according to International.
The field-test truck program — sponsored by WestStart’s Hybrid Truck Users Forum, a hybrid commercialization project bringing together truck fleet users, truckmakers, technology companies and the U.S. military — will field-test 24 utility trucks with an integrated hybrid powertrain developed by International and Eaton. The field test is set to begin by yearend.
Commercial operations gauge success in terms of fuel savings, rather than the miles-per-gallon measure traditionally used by over-the-road truck fleets.
