ANN ARBOR – The City of Ann Arbor has deployed Eaton’s Hydraulic Launch Assist hybrid power system ? four trucks, based on the Peterbilt Model 320 Hybrid with Labrie body – to operate in daily curbside recycling duty. The trucks are expected to provide up to 30 percent improvements in fuel economy and emissions and significant reductions maintenance costs.
“Eaton is proud to support the City of Ann Arbor and its efforts to be a leader in the adoption of sustainable transportation,” said Dimitri Kazarinoff, vice president and general manager of Eaton’s Hybrid Power Systems Division. “As an early adopter of this new hydraulic hybrid technology, the city is helping to move the country forward toward a greener and more fuel-efficient fleet.”
Eaton’s exclusive Hybrid Launch Assist technology has been tested on refuse vehicles in Fort Worth and Denver. The fuel-efficient Eaton HLA system captures the trucks’ kinetic energy during braking to assist in launching and accelerating the vehicle. The HLA technology works by recovering up to 75 percent of the energy normally lost as heat by the vehicle?s brakes in the form of pressurized hydraulic fluid. This fluid is stored in an on-board accumulator until the driver next accelerates the vehicle, which reduces fuel consumption and wear on the engine. Testing has shown a significant improvement in maintenance costs. Brake replacement cost can potentially be reduced by four times compared to a baseline truck.
“Incorporating these types of cutting-edge technologies into our operations is critical to meeting the Mayor’s Green Energy Challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent,” said Andrew Brix, energy programs manager for the City of Ann Arbor. “Also, the cost savings from reduced fuel use helps us continue to provide cost-effective services for our residents in these difficult economic times.”
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