WORK TRUCK SHOW -- Echo Automotive's EchoDrive plug-in hybrid system took home the Green Award from the NTEA'S Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Echo Automotive has developed a non-invasive, "bolt-on" plug-in hybrid solution for new or existing vehicles, and expects to deliver the first units to beta-testing fleets in the second quarter.

The Green Award is presented annually to the Work Truck Show product that best advances work truck fuel utilization as determined by a panel of trade media editors and fleet managers.

Echo Automotive will install the units on customers’ existing vehicles, which will immediately be placed back in service within their fleets. Drivers will use the EchoDrive plug-in hybrid powered vans in their standard day-to-day business. Throughout the test period, system data will be captured and reported back to the Echo development team and will be used in fine-tuning the EchoDrive system for production application.

Delivery of production volume units is expected later this year.

“We are pleased to announce that almost all of our first-year production units have been reserved and that we have begun taking orders for 2015,” said Amy Dobrikova, vice president of sales and business development. “Betas will soon be deployed in fleets across the nation within Fortune 500 companies and leading universities, government agencies, municipalities and utilities.

Production of EchoDrive units for the Ford E-Series platform is scheduled to begin later this year. Production for EchoDrive units supporting the GM 2500 and 3500 platform is expected in early 2015.