The U.S. Air Force will display Mack Trucks’ fuel-saving hybrid technology at the Hybrid Truck User Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 19-Friday, Sept. 21 in Seattle. A Mack Granite model dump truck, built for the Air Force’s Advanced Power Technology Office and currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, will be at the HTUF exhibition and ride and drive.
“Hybrid systems can have a major impact on reducing the more than 38 billion gallons of diesel fuel the U.S. trucking industry consumes every year,” says Paul L. Vikner, president and chief executive officer of Lehigh Valley, Pa.-based Mack. “Mack’s research indicates that hybrid electric systems in heavy-duty trucks could save as much as 35 percent of the fuel consumed by conventionally powered vehicles.”
The Mack hybrid-electric powertrain features an integrated starter, alternator and motor referred to collectively as an electric machine. The electric machine assists the Granite vehicle’s Mack MP7 diesel engine in providing torque to the wheels and regenerates energy during braking; this energy, stored in ultracapacitors, then is used in place of diesel fuel. This technology is built to provide the maximum fuel savings on routes with frequent braking and accelerations, particularly refuse collection and urban delivery, as well as certain construction applications.
“Thanks to the support of the Air Force and Congress, we’ve already met many of the challenges involved in turning the hybrid concept into a reality in heavy-duty trucks,” Vikner says. “Mack is proud to play a leading role in making these cleaner, quieter, fuel-efficient vehicles significant contributors to the prosperity of our customers — and our country — in the future.”
