UPS announced new sustainability goals to add more alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to its fleet while increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources. The goals, available in the company’s 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report, support UPS’ commitment to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from global ground operations... Read more →

A team from the California Air Resources Board (ARB), in partnership with the City of Sacramento, has characterized the in-use emissions from model year (MY) 2010 or newer diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydraulic hybrid diesel engines during real-world refuse truck operation. A paper on their study is published... Read more →

Lightning Hybrids, developer and manufacturer of hydraulic hybrid systems, has changed its name to Lightning Systems, effective immediately. Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning Systems, made the announcement today at the ACT Expo. Lightning Systems also announced that in the next two years it will introduce a new lineup of fleet... Read more →

Ford is expanding its Advanced Fuel Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) program to include companies that develop and install electrified and hydraulic hybrid powertrains for Ford trucks and vans. The new eQVM program kicks off with three developers: XL Hybrids, Motiv Power Systems and Lightning Hybrids. These companies offer electrification or... Read more →

United Parcel Service, Inc., the world’s largest package delivery company and a provider of supply chain management solutions, placed 50 Lightning Hybrids hydraulic hybrid delivery trucks in the Chicago metro area. The hybrid systems were partially funded by Drive Clean Chicago, a program that aims to accelerate the adoption of... Read more →

Kiessling Transit, a Massachusetts-based transportation company, is ordering 32 more hydraulic hybrid buses equipped with Lighting Hybrids’ Energy Recovery System (ERS) for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. This order for 32 units follows an order last year from the Boston-area transit company for 35 units that were commissioned in... Read more →

Peapod, the leading online grocer in the US, took delivery of its first two hydraulic hybrid delivery trucks this month. The vehicles, existing Workhorse walk-in vans with GM gasoline engines and equipped with the Lightning Hybrids Energy Recovery System (ERS), are in service on the streets of Chicago and were... Read more →

Lightning Hybrids, developer and manufacturer of hydraulic hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses (earlier post), has provided some detail and background on a core component of its system: the hydraulic accumulator, or “mechanical battery”. In the hydraulic hybrid system, hydraulic pumps and the lightweight accumulator store braking... Read more →

The LH gasoline hydraulic hybrid shows an extreme reduction in NOx compared to a diesel baseline. Source: Lightning Hybrids. Click to enlarge. Lightning Hybrids (LH), a provider of hydraulic hybrid drive systems for fleet vehicles such as shuttle buses, delivery vehicles and work trucks (earlier post), has released some results... Read more →

Lightning Hybrids, developer and manufacturer of hydraulic hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses (earlier post), announced an agreement with Kiessling Transit to supply 35 hydraulic hybrid systems. The sale marks Lightning Hybrids’ largest order to date. The company’s system demonstrated improvements of 30% in fuel efficiency and... Read more →

Morgan Olson walk-in van with Lightning Hybrids hydraulic drive system installed for AmeriPride. Click to enlarge. Lightning Hybrids, developer and manufacturer of hydraulic hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses (earlier post), will introduce the application of its first emission-reducing brake regeneration technology on a walk-in box truck.... Read more →

Dana Holding Corporation is now offering its Spicer PowerBoost hydraulic-hybrid system for field testing by off-highway original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Dana engineers have conducted extensive field tests of the Spicer PowerBoost system integrated with a dual-motor hydrostatic transmission in a series configuration. These functional evaluations include more than 1,000 hours on... Read more →

Parker Hannifin is seeing growing acceptance in the market for its RunWise heavy-duty hydraulic series hybrid system (earlier post), currently only applied in Autocar refuse trucks. After the introduction of pilot units in 2010, Parker is now close to the 100-unit mark with the RunWise system, with 84 of those... Read more →

Citroën will unveil its new C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept at the Paris Motor Show. With the C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept, Citroën is demonstrating fuel consumption of 2l/100 km (118 mpg US) through the use of optimized design with a 20% improvement in aerodynamics; lower rolling resistance (Tall&Narrow) tires;... Read more →

PEUGEOT is showcasing its 208 HYbrid Air 2L Demonstrator at next month’s Paris Motor Show. The 2L stands for two liters per 100 km, equivalent to 118 mpg US, and is based on a production version of the Peugeot 208 1.2-liter PureTech 82 hp 5-seater Hatchback. Peugeot’s Hybrid Air (earlier... Read more →

The Lightning Hybrid system. Click to enlarge. Lightning Hybrids, a maker of hydraulic hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses (earlier post), released initial results from emissions testing conducted by an independent testing facility in Colorado of two medium-duty trucks upfitted with the Lighting Hybrids system. The results... Read more →

Peugeot will unveil two all-new models—the 108, successor to the popular 107; and the 308 SW—and two new engine technologies—the 1.2-liter PureTech e-THP three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engines and new BlueHDi diesel emissions technology, to appear on several versions of PEUGEOT 308, 308 SW and 508—at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.... Read more →

Chrysler Group LLC has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to a proposed initial public offering of common shares. Details of the offering—i.e., number of shares and price range—are yet to be determined. However, the document not only provides a... Read more →

Citroën Cactus concept with Airbumps (not related to the Hybrid Air powertrain). Click to enlarge. At the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, Citroën will showcase its Cactus C-segment concept car, featuring, among other technologies, the Hybrid Air powertrain co-developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën and Bosch. (Earlier post.) Hybrid Air is a... Read more →

Powertrain technologies outlook up to 2020. Click to enlarge. At the company’s 61st Automotive Press Briefing in Boxberg, Germany, Bosch senior executives outlined the company’s view on the general future of automotive technology—“efficient and increasingly electrical”, and provided a thumbnail of the way they see—and thus are developing products for—sector-specific... Read more →

The concept and layout of the hydraulic hybrid system. Click to enlarge. Bosch, in collaboration with PSA Peugeot Citroën, is developing a hydraulic full-hybrid powertrain to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in light-duty vehicles. (Earlier post.) PSA is applying the technology in “Hybrid Air” vehicles from both Citroën and... Read more →

Peugeot 2008 HYbrid Air. The energy tank can be seen in the central tunnel, and the low-pressure tank at the rear. Click to enlarge. Like its group partner Citroën (earlier post), Peugeot will display an application of the new Hybrid Air technology (earlier post)—the 2008 HYbrid Air—at the upcoming Geneva... Read more →

Elements of the “Hybrid Air” hydraulic hybrid powertrain under development for B, C, and D vehicles. Click to enlarge. Following the introduction of the Bosch electric axle-split hybrid in PSA Peugeot Citroën diesel vehicles (earlier post), the two companies are now planning to develop a hydraulic hybrid powertrain for passenger... Read more →

The series hydraulic transit bus. Click to enlarge. The BUSolutions demonstrator LCO-140H (Low Cost of Ownership–1st 40-foot Hybrid) series hydraulic hybrid transit bus yields fuel economy of 6.9 mpg (34 l/100km) on the industry-standard ADB duty cycle—110% better than conventional diesel buses on the road today and 30% better than... Read more →

Artemis Intelligent Power, Ricardo and Bombardier Transportation are collaborating on a research and development project on rail brake energy recovery scheduled to commence in the second half of this year. The system under investigation combines the Artemis Digital Displacement hydraulic pump-motor system (earlier post) and Ricardo’s Kinergy flywheel high energy... Read more →

The Effenco hydraulic hybrid system can drive the existing hydraulic pump for auxiliary equipment or assist the engine. Source: Effenco. Click to enlarge. Montreal, Canada-based Effenco has developed a hydraulic hybrid system (HEAD, Hydraulic Equipment Assisting Device) specifically targeted to vehicles with high power demand auxiliaries, such as refuse trucks.... Read more →

RunWise features a cradle design for packaging mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components to facilitate installation, testing, and servicing. Click to enlarge. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed the RunWise Advanced Series Hybrid Drive (earlier post) from Parker Hannifin Corporation on the National Clean Diesel Campaign’s Emerging Technologies List.... Read more →

Chrysler Group LLC and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working together to determine the possibility of adapting a hydraulic series hybrid system for application in large passenger cars and light-duty vehicles. The announcement of the partnership was made at the EPA laboratories in Ann Arbor, Mich., following a... Read more →

Altair Engineering, Inc., has selected Parker Hannifin’s RunWise series hydraulic hybrid drive system (earlier post) for its BUSolutions project. The system will enable the new advanced bus platform to achieve 45-70% increased fuel economy over average diesel powertrains and more than double the fuel economy improvement of hybrid-electrics, contributing to... Read more →

The new Kalmar hydraulic hybrid drive terminal tractor. Click to enlarge. Cargotec has introduced a hydraulic hybrid drive terminal tractor offering customers improved performance, significant savings in fuel costs and even greater reductions in NOx and particulate matter emissions. Paired with the Kalmar Ottawa 4x2 off-highway terminal tractor, the hydraulic... Read more →

The Parker RunWise hydraulic hybrid system features a cradle design for packaging mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components. Click to enlarge. Parker Hannifin Corporation, in partnership with Autocar, delivered hydraulic hybrid refuse vehicles to three South Florida municipalities (earlier post): City of Miami, the City of Hialeah, and Miami-Dade County. The... Read more →

Design of the lightweight hydraulic accumulators. Click to enlarge. Lightning Hybrids Inc. (LHI), the developer of hydraulic drivetrain technology for vehicles (earlier post), introduced its lightweight high-pressure composite bladder accumulators for hydraulic and other energy storage applications. LHI says its composite tanks are one-third the weight of standard steel accumulators... Read more →

World markets for HEV/PHEV/BEV medium- and heavy-duty trucks 2010–2015. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. Pike Research forecasts that worldwide sales of medium- (MD) and heavy-duty (HD) hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric trucks are will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 63%, with sales of almost... Read more →

The Model 320 Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Among its other product introductions at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, Peterbilt announced the limited production availability of the Model 320 Hybrid Class 8 refuse truck, equipped with Eaton’s Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) technology (earlier post). The low-cab-forward Model 320 Hybrid... Read more →

Eaton Corp. recently entered into a five-year agreement with Western Michigan University (WMU) to invest in and jointly staff a 1,000-square-foot testing lab to focus on hybrid drive systems for commercial and military vehicles. A memorandum of understanding, finalized in late December, calls for Eaton to invest $350,000 for lab... Read more →

The HLA system. Click to enlarge. Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation will begin offering retrofit versions of its Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) hybrid power system (earlier post) for refuse trucks later this year. The Refuse Retrofit Program will be offered through select qualified partners and installers. Eaton is currently seeking... Read more →

The FCCC hydraulic hybrid chassis. Source: FCCC.Click to enlarge. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC), a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America, has made an initial 20 unit commercial commitment for a series hydraulic drive system from Parker Hannifin. (Earlier post, earlier post.) The commitment came as part of a grant... Read more →

The Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010, passed earlier this month by the US Senate Appropriations Committee and now under consideration by the full Senate, contains US$14.4 billion in funding for Michigan firms, the majority of which—$12.4 billion—is allocated for vehicle and weapons procurement, according to Sen. Carl Levin,... Read more →

HHS upfit system. Click to enlarge. Hydraulic Hybrid Systems, LLC (HHS), a recently-formed subsidiary of Lightning Hybrids Inc. (earlier post), is partnering with Equipment Maintenance Innovators (EMI-Global) to distribute HHS hydraulic hybrid retrofit systems for light- and medium-duty commercial fleet vehicles. HHS’s upfit solution is a high-efficiency, light-weight parallel hydraulic... Read more →

The hydraulic hybrid refuse truck. Click to enlarge. The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has launched field tests of Bosch Rexroth’s Hydrostatic Regenerative Braking (HRB) parallel hydraulic hybrid system to assess HRB’s viability for use as an alternative drive system for the department’s refuse trucks. Bosch Rexroth says... Read more →

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped by the FEV booth to see the H3 ReEV after his remarks at the SAE 2009 World Congress opening ceremony. Click to enlarge. At SAE 2009 World Congress, FEV showcased two advanced hybrid development projects it undertook with partners—the range-extended electric vehicle (ReEV) HUMMER H3... Read more →

The Hydrid drivetrain. Click to enlarge. At the Hannover Messe, 20-24 April, Innas BV and NOAX BV will introduce the latest design of the Innas hydraulic transformer (IHT) and the “Hydrid”, a hydraulic series hybrid drive train for passenger cars and off-road equipment. With this new design, the fuel consumption... Read more →

Rendering of the LH4. Click to enlarge. Colorado start-up Lightning Hybrids will unveil the prototype of its hydraulic hybrid four-seat sports sedan at the Denver Auto Show 1-5 April. This will also mark the public debut for the hydraulic hybrid drivetrain. The car, the LH4, features a 240 hp (179... Read more →

Components of the Eaton heavy-duty hydraulic launch assist (HLA) system. Click to enlarge. Waste Management, Inc., North America’s largest waste management company, is field-testing parallel hydraulic hybrid waste collection trucks. Four parallel hydraulic hybrid-diesel collection trucks have been incorporated into Waste Management’s fleet and are being tested in Fort Worth... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from eligible entities to collaborate with EPA in a set of hybrid technology pilot projects that can span the optimization of Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle (HHV) technology (including plug-in electric-hydraulic hybrids); unique clean and efficient engines for full-series hybrid vehicles; and clean... Read more →

The hydraulic system provides a high power-density energy storage option. Click to enlarge. Source: EPA After two years of road-testing of a prototype, UPS has placed its first order for hydraulic diesel series hybrid delivery vehicles (HHV), becoming the first in its industry to do so. Disclosing the results of... Read more →

Components of the hydraulic hybrid Hydrostatic Regenerative Braking System. Click to enlarge. Bosch will highlight its hydraulic hybrid drivetrain at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany as one of its solutions to help reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions in the commercial vehicle sector. Bosch will also showcase... Read more →

Frost & Sullivan recently recognized Sanderson Engine Development, LLC (SED) with the 2008 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Emerging Company of the Year. Sanderson is the desinger of the Sanderson Rocker-Arm Mechanism (SRAM) for converting reciprocating motion into rotational motion without the use of a conventional crankshaft. (Earlier... Read more →

Three different configurations of the HEDDAT-based series hybrid system with increasing hybrid functionality leading to up to 30% reduction in CO2. Click to enlarge. Artemis Intelligent Power has unveiled a new hydraulic hybrid powertrain for vehicles based on its Digital Displacement (DD) technology, which replaces the port plates and swash... Read more →

The hydraulic series hybrid uses the combustion engine to power a hydraulic pump/motor. Click to enlarge. The Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF), a government-corporate partnership led by CALSTART, has selected Hybra-Drive Systems LLC (HDS) to build three identical Class 6 hydraulic series hybrid delivery trucks for real-world testing by UPS,... Read more →