History was made recently, when retail giant Wal-Mart took delivery of its first hybrid Class 8 big rig. The model 386 hybrid truck is the result of a joint effort between the Texas-based Peterbilt Motors Company, Eaton Corporation and Wal-Mart. Peterbilt has the truck-building expertise, while Eaton has developed the parallel hybrid system. The project was supported by Wal-Mart, which owns the nation’s second largest private fleet of trucks.

The hybrid system charges the vehicle’s batteries when the engine is idling, or when the brakes are applied. This stored energy is later used to power an electric motor, either to supplement the diesel engine’s power or even to move the vehicle all by itself under certain conditions. Based on the current price of diesel fuel, estimated annual savings are around $9,000 per vehicle. In addition to fuel savings, the hybrid is expected to require less maintenance, because of the reduced wear and tear on engine and brakes.

At third-party tests, the Eaton Hybrid Power System has typically shown a 5-7 percent fuel savings compared to non-hybrid models. During idling, fuel savings can be considerable. The batteries can be charged in minutes and the diesel engine needs to run only about five minutes of every hour to keep them fully charged, according to Peterbilt Chief Engineer Landon Sproull. (1)

Peterbilt, Eaton and Wal-Mart are to be applauded for helping to make the environment more biofriendly. Wal-Mart plans to replace its Peterbilt 386 big rigs with the hybrid version of the same model by 2009, potentially saving millions of gallons of fuel every year.

Kenworth and DAF, both sister companies of Peterbilt, are also presenting hybrid big rig trucks, as is Mitsubishi.

So, the green movement is gathering momentum. While a pollution-free environment and abundant energy are still a long way off, the hybrid big rigs are a move in that direction. Many other innovations will be needed, but as fuel prices keep rising, we can expect to see more and more practical ways of saving energy.

Fuel economy is a vital factor in today’s world, as reducing fuel consumption will help to contain costs, improve air quality and reduce our dependency on foreign fossil fuels. One company that contributes to a greener planet is Biofriendly Corporation, whose liquid fuel catalyst Green Plus® causes fuel in internal combustion engines to burn more completely and thereby reduces fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

References:

(1) http://www.peterbilt.com/index_new_mor.asp?file=2100