California ARB to Hold First Public Workshop on Development of New Hybrid Requirements for Medium- and Heavy-duty Vehicles
15 January 2010
On 3 February, The California Air Resources Board will conduct its first public workshop to discuss concepts for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) from medium and heavy- duty vehicles through a requiring some truck hybridization.
In addition, the ARB will be discussing potential updates to the existing interim certification procedures for hybrid heavy-duty trucks and urban buses.
The purpose of this workshop is to provide an overview of ARB activities to date and initiate a dialogue on effectively achieving GHG reductions that are technologically feasible, cost-effective, and quantifiable.
Background. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32; Stats. 2006, chapter 488), passed and signed into law in 2006, has the overall goal of restoring state greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. To achieve this, the ARB was tasked with developing an AB 32 Scoping Plan providing the outline for actions to reduce California’s GHG emissions. APproved in December 2008, the Scoping Plan now requires the ARB and other state agencies to adopt regulations and other initiatives reducing GHGs.
The Scoping Plan recommended several actions for reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector, including a measure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle hybridization. As part of that initiative, ARB will develop a regulation requiring new trucks in targeted vocations be hybrid vehicles. This is the first workshop, in a series of workshops, which the ARB will hold in development of the regulation.
This meeting will be webcast for those unable to attend in person. Staff’s presentation and any handouts will be posted in advance of the workshop on ARB’s web site at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/hybridtruck/hybridtruck.htm.
All stop/start and urban vehicles should become hybrids.
All garbage trucks, urban buses, taxis, delivery trucks should be replaced by hybrids when their time is due.
There is no panic about this, but when it comes around to replacing the garbage truck, it should be replaced with a hybrid (assuming they are available and do not cost too much extra).
Posted by: mahonj | 15 January 2010 at 08:22 AM
I don't think they should mandate "hybrid" specifically, but should instead determine what current and near term technology such as "hybridization" can achieve and then set goals equivalent to what hybridization would give you.
If manufacturers come up with a non-hybrid solution that meets the same goals as a hybrid, it should be accepted as just as valid.
Posted by: Patrick | 15 January 2010 at 11:04 AM
Seriously. They could save a lot of money they don't have in Cali by converting to NG-ICE. Simpler and cheaper by far than hybrids right now. Unless they have a hidden stash of cash somewhere...
Also, garbage trucks should be required to retain the grinding, whining, banging noise pollution we are so accustomed to.
Posted by: sulleny | 15 January 2010 at 12:54 PM
I don't know about a "stash of cash" but Waste Management makes LOTS of money and they could easily replace their whole truck fleet in the next 5 years.
They will not if they seek to increase dividends, executive salaries and bonuses. We all breath the air, so it is a good use of public funds to help these companies clean the air.
Posted by: SJC | 16 January 2010 at 12:23 PM
The Artemis hydraulic hybrid system can be retrofitted to any vehicle as it was to a standard automoble and can reduce fuel use by up to half for autombile test cycles and probably more for start stop operation. There is no reason to not require hybrid vehicles if efficient refrigerators are required. If commercial semitrailer tractors were bought on the same emotional basis as private trucks and automobiles, they would have 4000 horsepower like an amtrack locomotive. GE is testing battery hybrid locomotive even. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 16 January 2010 at 01:31 PM
Hybridization of heavy vehicles; trucks, buses, locomotives, ships etc will reduce their liquid fuel consumption and air pollution.
Both, the energy storage unit and on-board charger or range extender will evolve enough to make those hybrids 50+% more efficient by 2020. Cars and light vehicles will go from 20 mpg to 40+ mpg in the same time frame.
More (disliked) regulations may be required to keep the pressure on manufacturers. CAFE will have to be updated soon to include all vehicles and to fully consider hybridization and electrification.
Posted by: HarveyD | 17 January 2010 at 11:29 AM