A forecast from Pike Research says that sales of hybrid and electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks will nearly double in 2012, but one industry expert thinks some of the numbers might be overly optimistic. Continue Reading

Among alternative power solutions, hybrid technology is the favorite to be the leader in the global marketplace among medium-heavy commercial truck and buses by 2020, but its shortfalls, particularly financial, will remain. A new study by Frost & Sullivan, a global research firm, says that hybrids will quickly eclipse even more expensive technologies like compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The leading providers of these hybrids are projected to be North America–where some nearly 50 percent of the projected 300,000-plus electric buses and vehicles on the Continue Reading

Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a third year of funding to promote the purchase of next-generation clean cars, trucks and off-road equipment. The program will offer up to $40 million to be distributed on a first-come first-served basis. Trucking companies in the state can receive vouchers to help support the addition of fuel-efficient hybrid and zero-emission trucks into Continue Reading

The California Air Resources Board announced earlier this week the availability of $19 million to support hybrid vehicle technology to help reduce emissions in the state. The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program will provide vouchers on a first-come first-served basis to help California fleets purchase fuel-efficient hybrid medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. At least $2 million is reserved for public fleets, but both public and private fleets can reserve vouchers when a new vehicle is purchased. For more information regarding the voucher incentive program that details a full list of eligible vehicles Continue Reading

The financial incentive program the California Air Resources Board (CARB) put in place in 2007 is showing results, as the agency announced it has help put more than 650 hybrid trucks and buses on the state’s roads. Through the program, which is administered through CalStart, a nonprofit organization that works with business, fleets and government to develop and implement clean, efficient transportation solutions, provides vouchers to help fleets offset the higher costs associated with purchasing the advanced technology vehicles. That technology, though, is credited with reducing emissions and Continue Reading

Effective June 1, the Canadian province of Alberta will make available $2 million in incentives for truckers who choose to invest in fuel-saving technologies. The program’s eligible technologies include: trailer skirts and fairings ($500); end fairings ($500); cab heaters ($400); auxiliary power units ($1,500); gap fairings ($300); and Continue Reading

For Class 8 trucks, hybrid engine technology is years away, but already in other medium- and heavy-duty applications, the innovation is paying off, and not just with fuel savings of 30 percent or more. Shorter downtimes, simple maintenance and mile after environmentally friendly mile for forward thinking fleets are among the bonuses for the Continue Reading

The addition of 50 hybrid delivery trucks in the Philadelphia area brings UPS Inc.’s total fleet of low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles to 20,000. Delivery routes in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix have already incorporated hybrid trucks, and plans call for the addition of more in eight U.S. cities. The carrier is estimating that these 200 hybrids will help Continue Reading

Featuring numerous next-generation technologies, Carrier Transicold’s new hybrid refrigeration unit, the Vector 6600MT, offers high refrigeration capacity and up to 20 percent more fuel efficiency than its predecessor. However, like the company’s Vector 6500 unit, it uses Carrier’s exclusive Deltek diesel-electric technology Continue Reading

Partnerships among manufacturers of idle-reduction systems could pay off both for customers and the OEMs. By pooling resources, vendors potentially tap into greater innovations that offer higher returns on investment for customers, and fleets benefit from utilizing more advanced equipment. OEMs agreed that to succeed in Continue Reading