Miami-Dade County in south Florida has placed a follow-on order for 29 Autocar E3 refuse trucks featuring Parker Hannifin's fuel-saving RunWise hydraulic hybrid technology.


Miami-Dade used funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to purchase 15 of the vehicles as part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign's Emerging Technologies List. RunWise is the only drivetrain technology on the list.

"We've been very pleased with the overall performance of the vehicles with RunWise technology," said Danny Diaz, director of fleet management for Miami Dade County. "The savings we are seeing is significant when you look at the long-term with these hybrid trucks."

Beyond brake energy recovery capabilities and reduced noise levels, the Autocar refuse trucks equipped with RunWise technology commonly demonstrate annual fuel savings in the range of 35% to 50% with the hybrid drive system for the automatic side loader, reusing as much as 71% of the vehicle's braking energy. Additional benefits include reduced maintenance costs, less engine wear and tear as well as extended brake life.

The RunWise version of the Autocar refuse trucks is currently in operation in Miami-Dade County and a number of cities around the country including in Hialeah and Miami, Fla.; Seymour, Ind., and Austin, Texas.