Dunbar Armored has taken delivery of the first-ever hybrid-electric armored truck -- a Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Hybrid. The company's new hybrid truck will see service in California.


Dunbar's new Business Class M2 106 Hybrid truck is the first production hybrid in the medium-duty market to include Eaton's "engine off at stop" technology, which shuts the engine off completely when the vehicle comes to a stop. The "engine off at stop" feature also includes a hill-hold function, which prevents the truck from rolling on grades greater than 2% when the driver removes his foot from the brake and steps on the accelerator. Combined, the new features are expected to give customers up to an additional 8% in fuel savings, Freightliner says.

According to Douglas White, Vice President of fleet maintenance for Dunbar Armored, the company was seeking a truck that would help them reduce fuel consumption and their carbon footprint.

"Not only do we want to offset future fuel costs, but we're finding that our customers are also looking to us to be environmentally conscious," said White. "Freightliner Trucks offered the best solution for our first hybrid vehicle."

All of Freightliner Trucks' hybrid products are equipped with EPA 2010-compliant engines utilizing selective catalytic reduction technology and the Eaton Hybrid Electric Drivetrain System, a parallel hybrid system that enables the truck to operate using the diesel engine alone, or in combination with the electric hybrid motor.

"It is our goal to provide all of our customers with innovative, leading-edge products that provide a definite impact on their bottom line," said David Bryant, vocational sales manager-hybrids for Freightliner Trucks. "Together with Eaton, we continue to enhance our hybrid solution to help companies like Dunbar maximize fuel efficiency and benefit the environment."