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A hybrid electric truck is a form of truck that uses hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology for propulsion, instead of using only a combustion engine.
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According to a report from Pike Research, the global market for hybrid medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses will increase from 9,000 vehicles sold in 2010 to more than 10 times more (more than 100,000 vehicles) in 2015. During this five-year period, the firm forecasts that a total of nearly 300,000 hybrid electric trucks will be sold worldwide.
History
In 2003, GM introduced a hybrid diesel-electric military (light) truck that is equipped with a diesel electric and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit. Hybrid electric light trucks were introduced in 2004 by Mercedes Benz (Sprinter) and Micro-Vett SPA (Daily Bimodale).
International Truck and Engine Corp. and Eaton Corp. have been selected to manufacture diesel-electric hybrid trucks for a U.S. pilot program that is serving the utility industry in 2004.
Vehicles
In mid-2005, Isuzu introduced the Elf Diesel Hybrid Truck to the Japanese market. They claim that approximately 300 vehicles, mostly route buses are using the Hinos HIMR (Hybrid Inverter Controlled Motor & Retarder) system. In 2007, high purchase price meant a hard sell for hybrid trucks and appears the first U.S. production hybrid truck (International Durastar Hybrid).
Other vehicles are:
Other hybrid petroleum-electric truck makers are DAF Trucks, MAN AG with MAN TGL Series, Nikola Motor Company with the Nikola One, Nissan Motors and Renault Trucks with Renault Puncher.
Powertrains
Hybrid electric truck technology and powertrain maker: ZF Friedrichshafen, Eaton Corporation, Azure Dynamics.
Fleets
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has the largest fleet of hybrid electric trucks in North America. The hybrid electric tractors are the standard bulk delivery truck that the company uses for large deliveries. CCE plans to incrementally deploy 185 of the hybrid electric trucks across the United States and Canada in 2009, bringing their total number of hybrid electric delivery trucks to 327, the largest such fleet in North America. The company has 142 small hybrid electric delivery vehicles on the road. The trucks are powered by Eaton Corporation's hybrid electric drivetrain systems.
In 2010, the UPS fleet in Philadelphia has expanded with 50 new hybrid electric trucks.
Legislation
By a voice vote, the United States House of Representatives approved the Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2009 (for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles) authored by representative James Sensenbrenner. The term advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicle means a vehicle with a gross weight between 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg) and 33,000 pounds (15,000 kg) that is fueled, in part, by a rechargeable electricity storage system.