In a cooperative effort between Bergstrom Inc., Daimler Trucks North America and Valeo, Bergstrom has announced a fully-integrated engine-on/engine-off no-idle system as an option in Freightliner Cascadia trucks. The new system will be available as a factory-installed option in Cascadia models beginning fourth quarter of 2008, providing sleeper compartment cooling and heating by using battery power for parked operation and the truck engine’s compressor when the engine is running.
Engineers from Bergstrom and Freightliner collaborated in developing the new system, says Terry Zeigler, vice president of electrified systems at Rockford, Ill.-based Bergstrom, a provider of climate systems to the commercial vehicle industry. “The system is the next generation of our NITE System,” Zeigler says. “The conventional HVAC system and NITE System are now fully integrated and 100 percent factory installed.” According to Zeigler, the integrated system will give end-users both increased performance and higher reliability.
The NITE (No-Idle Thermal Environment) System is designed to keep the sleeper compartment comfortable in both hot and cold weather, without relying on power from the engine. The new system features a battery-powered and fully-electrified sleeper AC system for both over-the-road and engine-off operation. With the engine off, the sleeper AC system operates on deep cycle batteries, and with the engine running, switches to the truck engine’s alternator for power.
“Total savings in fuel costs and lower maintenance can run well over $19,000 a year,” Zeigler says. “The system pays for itself in less than six months.” Zeigler says the integrated NITE System is well-suited to the new Freightliner Cascadia trucks’ overall design. “The Cascadia line has been designed and engineered from the ground up for outstanding efficiency and driver productivity,” he says. “The NITE System, by significantly reducing fuel usage, fits right in with that mission, and helps improve the Cascadia line’s overall fuel economy.”
Engineered specifically for longhaul trucks, the entire NITE System — controlled from the Freightliner SleeperCabs — is designed to be lightweight and compact, increasing efficiency. It consists of a rechargeable battery system that supplies electricity to a hermetically sealed air-conditioning unit and an auxiliary heater.
“We’re pleased to partner with Freightliner Trucks to bring this advance to the trucking industry,” says Bill Gordon, director of sales at Bergstrom. “Together, we’re enhancing the driving experience for our mutual longhaul customers, and helping them reduce their fuel costs at the same time.”
