Inland Kenworth introduces medium-duty hybrid-electric truck
Monday, June 23rd, 2008With the price of diesel rising faster than gasoline these days, is it any surprise the push is on for hybrid trucks and tractors?
Inland Kenworth, 3737 N. Interstate 10 Frontage Road eastbound, is now offering a medium-duty diesel-electric hybrid truck and a heavy-duty liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck. Both reduce fuel consumption, cut pollution and qualify for federal tax credits.
Dean Swick, western region medium-duty sales manager for Kenworth, says the diesel powered electric hybrid truck gets up to 30 percent fuel savings in stop-and-go use and can save 50 to 60 percent when idling.
Full production of the trucks will get underway in August. Kenworth says it plans to produce about 250 a month at a plant in Sainte Therese, Quebec.
The company’s typical LNG truck can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 33 percent and 20 percent respectively, compared to a diesel-fueled truck, according to Ruben Santistevan, of Inland.
He said a heavy-duty T800 LNG truck introduced at Inland Kenworth June 3 offers efficiency, horsepower and torque, with fuel costs that are reduced by 10 to 15 percent. Production on the T800 won’t begin until next year. It will be made in a Renton, Wash., plant,according to Mike Dozier, Kenworth’s chief engineer.
Kenworth’s hybrid-electric trucks operate like a standard diesel vehicle with all power coming from the engine during steady driving conditions, but use a combination of diesel and electricity below 30 miles per hour. The truck automatically switches between the two modes. Electricity generated through regenerative braking is stored and used for acceleration, assisting the diesel engine.
As an added incentive, Santistevan said Kenworth’s diesel-electric hybrid trucks may qualify for a maximum federal tax credit of $6,000 for Class 6 vehicles and $12,000 for Class 7 trucks.
“Many local government agencies and businesses, particularly those that rely heavily on diesel-powered trucks in their operations, are reeling under diesel fuel prices that are more than 50 percent higher than they were this time last year,” Santistevan said.
The fuel cost problem is real for fleet owners.
Tom House, budget manager for Pima County, said the county is budgeting an extra $1 million this year to cover increased mileage rates for fuel.
Ron Lewis, the city’s director of the general services department, said the city has 2,700 vehicles ranging from sedans and pickups to full-sized garbage trucks and specialized equipment.
“As we replace aging vehicles, we’ll be looking for the latest proven technology that will have good fuel economy,” Lewis said. “We try to stay up with all of that.”