Mack Trucks, a unit of Volvo Group, has given federal legislators and policymakers a first-hand look at its parallel diesel-electric hybrid technology for heavy-duty trucks.
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Mack says its hybrid technology provides up to a 30% fuel economy improvement in stop-and-go applications like refuse collection.
The TerraPro Cabover was displayed at the base of Capitol Hill and Mack says it is the first production-intent parallel diesel-electric hybrid truck model in the US designed specifically for Class 8 heavy-duty applications and meeting the EPA’10 emission regulations.
The Mack TerraPro model was part of a “Hybrid on the Hill Day” organised by the Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) of CALSTART. The event showcased the latest hybrid technology for trucks and sought to raise public awareness of how the US government can help speed the widespread use of hybrid trucks.
“Our hybrid technology will be commercially viable, yet it will take time to establish a robust hybrid market for heavy vehicles that will enable us to invest in large scale production,” said Dennis Slagle, Mack president and CEO.
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By GlobalData“Incentives will accelerate the adoption of Class 8 hybrids and bring forward the positive environmental changes.”
Until these economies of scale are established, most heavy-duty hybrids will be sold at a very high premium compared to non-hybrids, he noted. Once a market is established and production volumes reach the point where the price difference becomes less, the savings from fuel and maintenance with Mack’s hybrid system should be enough to recoup a payback in a few years.
“Government incentives are necessary to establish a market for these vehicles with environmental benefits, similar to the incentives offered for hybrid passenger vehicles,” said Tom Kelly, Mack senior vice president, product portfolio management. “The public benefit of these incentives will be reduced environmental impact as hybrid heavy-duty trucks become more common.”
Some existing short-term federal tax credit programs apply to heavy-duty hybrids, and some incentives in the federal stimulus bill could possibly apply as well. But longer-term incentives are needed, according to Mack.
“For example, we’d like to see Congress extend the federal Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit, enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which expires at the end of 2009,” Kelly said.
