There’s no question that battery-electric commercial vehicles are on the horizon and John Bennett, the vice-president and chief technology officer at Meritor, says exact predictions about the growth of electric trucks are not important.
Battery- and fuel-cell-powered electric trucks are new to the market. Can different technologies find a home, or will a single winner emerge?
Akasol is one of Europe’s largest supplier of battery systems for commercial vehicles with hybrid-electric or all-electric drives and is now moving into the North American commercial vehicle market.
The Environmental Protection Agency is making some changes to its SmartWay program that offers information on verified fuel-efficient technologies. Day cabs are now eligible for the SmartWay designation, and research into fuel-efficient retreads will result in changes to how those products are classified.
MVT Solutions is partnering with the University of California, Riverside, and MeasureMission to bring a comprehensive fuel efficiency and emissions evaluation package to the trucking industry.
Lion Electric has named Dana as a preferred supplier of both traditional and new electric drivetrain components for its all-electric, Class 8 urban delivery vehicle, Dana announced at TMC, along with a new medium-duty drive axle.
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency is looking for 10 fleets to take part in its new Run on Less Regional fuel economy demonstration.
An analysis of four tanker configurations showed drag reduction of more than 2%. But Senior Contributing Editor Tom Berg suggests another way to cut drag – eliminating tanker fenders, which act like sails and pull backwards on the trailer.
Rarely do editors get to evaluate fuel economy on test drives. On a recent three-day "Performance Tour" trip in a Mack Anthem, Equipment Editor Jim Park turned in a trip average of 9.5 mpg, with a high of 10.4 on the second leg of the trip. Read how Mack's new engine technology made that possible.
From the November Issue of HDT - Driving simulators aren't just for new drivers or safety training, they can be used to teach drivers how to improve fuel economy by breaking bad habits.