Pike believes the global market for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electrics vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) will grow at 92% in 2012, with total sales surpassing 19,000.

In the U.S. this year, it predicts that 3,250 medium- and heavy-duty HEV trucks be sold, 790 BEV trucks will be sold and about 500 PHEV trucks will be sold.

In a slowly improving economy, driving factors of increased hybrid sales will likely be fleet owners’ desire to advertise a more environmentally-friendly fleet than their competitors’. Also pushing sales is the bottom-line cost impact from government emission regulations, says Pike.

“The performance of specific economic sectors will play a big role in the growth of electric drivetrains for trucks,” says Dave Hurst, senior analyst for Pike Research. “For example, as the retail industry rebounds, pick-up and delivery vehicle sales will rebound with it. This in turn will have a positive impact on the hybrid, plug-in, and battery electric truck markets, as well.”

In its research report, “Hybrid Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks,” Pike Research forecasted numbers through 2017. The firm expects the market to experience a compound annual growth rate of 42% between 2011 and 2017. In 2017, 100,746 hybrid and electric trucks are expected to sell globally.

In the U.S. in 2017, it’s expected that 21,675 hybrid and electric MD and HD trucks will be sold. That’s a growth rate of around 40% for hybrid and electric truck sales in the U.S. between now and 2017.

There are some obstacles that might stand in the way of growth in sales, however. One of those hurdles is the growing popularity of alternative fueled vehicles, particularly natural gas. Another is the high price tags on hybrid and electric vehicles. HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs all have higher upfront costs that are substantial enough to result in a higher total cost of ownership. Even with lower operating costs ($0.72/mile for diesel versus $0.60/mile for hybrid and $0.22/mile for BEV trucks, according to Pike), the higher purchase price for hybrids and electrics means the trucks aren’t able to recover their costs in a lifetime without government incentives.

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Hybrid Technologies Projected the Leading Alternative Power Choice by 2020

A new study by global research firm Frost & Sullivan indicates that hybrid propulsion technology is far and away going to be the leading alternative power choice in the world’s medium-heavy commercial truck and bus market by 2020.

Transit buses, in particular, will make up the lion’s share of hybrid fleets in terms of installation rates, while medium-heavy trucks featuring parallel hybrid architecture will account for the majority of the production volumes, noted Sandeep Kar, Frost & Sullivan’s global director-commercial vehicle research.

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CARB Extends Voucher Program for Fuel-Efficient Trucks Into Third Year

The California Air Resources Board on Thursday, July 21, approved up to $40 million for the third year of funding to promote the purchase of next-generation clean cars, trucks and off-road equipment. Californians will be able to use vouchers or rebates on a first-come first-served basis toward the purchase of zero-emissions or plug-in hybrid cars and zero-emissions or hybrid trucks and buses.

“This money is going to put thousands of ultra-clean vehicles on our roads within the year,” says CARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “That means better air quality sooner and real progress in making a dent in our dependence on petroleum.”

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The California Air Resources Board on Tuesday, Feb. 15, initiated the second year of grants totaling $19 million for hybrid vehicle technology to address smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions. 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 of these funds will be set aside for California public fleets to increase the number of hybrid vehicles. Interested public and private fleets can reserve a voucher for up to $40,000 through a participating dealership at the time the vehicle is ordered. The voucher then is redeemed at the time of purchase.

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The California Air Resources Board announced Monday, Sept. 27, that a financial incentive program has helped put more than 650 hybrid trucks and buses on California roads. The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program provides $20,000 to $35,000 as vouchers to help California fleets offset the purchase price of advanced-technology hybrid trucks and buses.

The technology reduces greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions, particularly in heavy idling or stop-and-go vehicles. The hybrid truck program also recently received recognition by the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy as one of the nation’s best energy efficiency programs.

“We are honored that California’s ongoing effort to bring the most efficient delivery trucks to our streets was recognized by this national organization,” says CARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “The trucks and buses that these funds help purchase use proven advanced technology to improve fuel efficiency and clean our air.”

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CALGARY, Alta. — Alberta is the latest province to provide rebates for truckers who invest in fuel-saving technologies.

The province has made $2 million available in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector by 97,000 tonnes per year. The rebate program, announced May 31, goes into effect June 1.

“With 80% of greenhouse gas emissions coming from the tailpipe, we all have a crucial role to play in improving Alberta’s fuel efficiency,” said Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner. “Alberta’s trucking industry drives our economy and this program is an environmental and economic win-win for the sector and province.”

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Hybrid engine technology is not yet ready for Class 8 over-the-road trucks, but it is making inroads in other heavy- and medium-duty applications and appears to be performing well, both on the road and in the shop.

The technology so far has added little maintenance work to technicians’ duties, officials with FedEx Corp., UPS Inc., Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Florida Power & Light Co. and the New York City Department of Sanitation said in separate interviews.

Routine maintenance typically involves periodically changing an air filter on the hybrid system’s air-cooled battery and checking the battery’s coolant reservoir, with intervals depending on a company’s duty cycle.

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UPS Inc. said it has deployed 50 hybrid electric delivery trucks to its fleet in the Philadelphia area.

The hybrids join 50 hybrid trucks already operating for UPS in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix, UPS said Thursday.

UPS has about 20,000 low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles in its fleet. The new hybrids are part of a set of 200 hybrids being deployed in eight U.S. cities.

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Next-Gen Carrier Hybrid Refrigeration Unit Boasts Increased Fuel Efficiency

On March 24, Carrier Transicold unveiled the Vector 6600MT, a new hybrid trailer refrigeration unit featuring next-generation technologies. The Vector 6600MT unit provides high refrigeration capacity and delivers up to 20 percent greater fuel-efficiency than its predecessor.

Along with the company’s Vector 6500 unit, the new Vector 6600MT takes advantage of Carrier’s exclusive Deltek diesel-electric technology for high operating efficiencies, reduced maintenance requirements versus conventional belt-drive systems, and an electric standby option for stationary units. In addition, technological enhancements to system components and operating software and a more efficient system design enable higher performance and greater efficiencies than possible with Carrier’s first-generation hybrid systems.

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Partnerships Lead to More Advanced Idle-Reduction Systems for Customers

Manufacturers of idle-reduction systems have begun combining their strengths to create solutions that meet user needs across a wider spectrum of applications. It’s a trend likely to increase with time. Last February, for example, Bergstrom, Inc. and Kohler Power Systems announced that the companies had joined forces to offer a “hybrid” idle-reduction system.

“We have partnered with Bergstrom to create a new hybrid power system,” said Sean Kenefick, sales manager for Kohler. “Basically, it pairs the new battery-driven NITE Plus system from Bergstrom, which is 30% more powerful but has the same footprint as the original NITE system, with Kohler’s 3APU power unit. The Bergstrom system manages the heating and cooling while the Kohler unit recharges the batteries. The only time that the system is not CARB-approved is when the battery charger is running, but we are working now to get full system approval.

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