Navistar announced Thursday, Aug. 21, at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas that it is extending its hybrid strategy with new programs designed to further cut the cost of ownership for its hybrid trucks at a time of extraordinarily high diesel prices.
Navistar says that it is offering customers extra savings when buying the International DuraStar Hybrid medium-duty truck; a $6,000 tax-match incentive, a 60-month fair market value lease and a 60-month battery-lease program, which it says is the first of its kind in the North American commercial truck industry, one that results in an additional $10,000 off the purchase price of the truck.
“These three new programs are for customers who are feeling the pinch of fuel prices and who are looking for a greener alternative,” said James L. Hebe, senior vice president of North American sales operations for Warrenville, Ill.-based Navistar. “These new programs help give customers a shorter payback period to realize their return on investment.”
International says the DuraStar Hybrid offers up to 30 to 60 percent fuel savings over traditional diesel-powered trucks, which at today’s high diesel prices equates to a savings of nearly $4,000 in fuel per truck annually and also results in annual greenhouse gas reductions of 11 to 16.5 tons of carbon dioxide per unit.
Navistar says the fuel savings of the DuraStar Hybrid recently qualified the truck for federal tax credits of $3,000 to $12,000, depending on application and GVW, for most customers. In addition to these tax credits, International says it is offering an additional $6,000 matching “Green” credit for qualifying buyers.
Navistar also is introducing two new leasing programs on DuraStar Hybrid. The company is offering a 60-month fair market value lease on the DuraStar Hybrid, in which customers will have the option when the lease expires to either purchase the truck or just walk away. In addition, Navistar is offering a 60-month battery-lease program for the DuraStar Hybrid, where the customer will receive an additional $10,000 off the purchase price of the vehicle in exchange for paying 60 monthly lease payments on the truck battery.
