Heavy-Duty Plug-In Hybrid Company Acquires Integrator
18 October 2006
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| Odyne’s basic series plug-in hybrid design is modular and scalable. Click to enlarge. |
Odyne Corporation, a Long Island (NY)-based plug-in hybrid electric propulsion system design firm and manufacturer, has acquired Technology Integration Group, Inc., in a merger transaction concurrent with the closing of a $3.1 million private placement.
Odyne has created hybrid-electric vehicle technology which can be applied to Class 6-, 7- and 8- vehicle platforms, including medium and heavy-duty trucks, transit and school buses, refuse trucks and utility vehicles.
Odyne integrates its proprietary electric power conversion, electric power control and energy storage systems with a range of off-the-shelf components including electric motors and storage batteries. Odyne’s Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle systems are series-configuration hybrids.
Odyne’s plug-in hybrid-electric drivetrain system can be utilized as an all-electric vehicle, or as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), utilizing conventional fuels such as diesel or gasoline, or alternative fuels such as natural gas, biodiesel or propane.
Earlier this year, for example, the city of Fresno, California, has ordered a heavy-duty plug-in series-hybrid CNG refuse truck from Odyne Corporation—the first of its kind. Odyne will modify a new Autocar Refuse Collection Truck with the new fuel system and series-hybrid plug-in drive. The CNG plug-in hybrid will be used for in-service demonstration and monitoring in its municipal special collection fleet. (Earlier post.)
Odyne is also converting a 24-passenger bus and five garbage trucks for the Town of North Hempstead, and is working on transit buses and other utility vehicles. The company has received development funding from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA); Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC); and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Odyne’ business and growth strategy encompass proprietary battery management technology, unique systems architecture, and a modular/scalable configuration for application to municipal and private fleet transportation needs. Odyne believes the fuel agnostic and plug-in capability of its systems sets Odyne apart from its competitors, and provides users with an environmentally-friendly vehicle with lower emissions and lower operating costs.
The private placement and merger transactions are significant to Odyne. They give us the resources to fill existing orders for the plug-in hybridization of transit buses, refuse trucks and recycling trucks, and enable us to continue to participate in this significant market.
—Roger Slotkin, Odyne CEO
_Delivery trucks (Boar's Head, UPS, 8x10 8 ton fuel delivery tankers, etc.) might go for this.
_If it is up to snuff, refuse/recycling trucks should definitely go for this conversion. One problem might be cold/snowy/icy weather conditions, where in NYC they are used as plows. Will they be able to handle blizzard conditions?
Posted by: allen_Z | 18 October 2006 at 12:03 PM
Anyone have any data from field trials of electric and hydraulic hybrid HDVs?
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 18 October 2006 at 12:18 PM
These are fantastic ideas for plug-in hybrid applications. Even without fast charging batteries these types of trucks don't run during the nighttime. So you could hook them up to recharge. Even if in the morning they used up their electric load fairly quickly it would still have large cost savings. As these big heavy duty vehicles guzzle gasoline.
Posted by: aa2 | 18 October 2006 at 02:10 PM
aa2,
er, diesel.
_HyDrive has a H2 generating system (reduces O2 from water, the other component of H2O) by running a generator from the engine power. If they can use excess electric regen braking energy instead, the current ~25% increase in fuel mileage will increase further.
Posted by: allen_Z | 19 October 2006 at 01:28 PM