Odyne Receives Purchase Order from DUECO for Plug-In Hybrid Aerial Lift Truck

30 May 2007

Odyne Corporation announced that DUECO, Inc., has issued a purchase order to Odyne for the installation of Odyne’s propulsion technology into an aerial lift truck that will be displayed at the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) on October 16 – 18 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Odyne and DUECO had entered into an exclusive agreement earlier this month whereby DUECO and Odyne will develop and install proprietary plug-in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion systems optimized for aerial lift truck applications. (Earlier post.)

The drive system that Odyne is developing for DUECO is designed to minimize fuel use and emissions in a typical aerial truck mission; these vehicles are generally dispatched to a work area and then spend several stationary hours at a site while repair or installation tasks are completed. In a conventionally powered aerial truck, the engine is idling during this stationary period to provide power for the aerial lift, power tools, lights and other auxiliary loads that are required by the work crew.

The Odyne system will provide the fuel efficiency and emission enhancements typical of a hybrid vehicle while the truck is traveling to and from the work site and will allow the engine to be shut off during most of the stationary operation. This results in fuel savings, noise and emission reductions during the work period.