According to the NTEA (formerly the National Truck Equipment Assn.), a key feature of its upcoming annual Work Truck Show—running from March 5-8 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis-- will be access to 21 environmentally friendly vehicles during the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive event. Equipment demonstrations of electric PTOs and similar technologies will also take place via stationary displays adjacent to the outdoor Ride-and-Drive course.
The Work Truck Show starts with education sessions on March 5.. The Green Truck Ride-and-Drive is open to all show attendees on March 6 and 7 from 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm, and with no additional charge to participate.
An annual fixture of the show since 2007, the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive “gives attendees the opportunity to experience cutting-edge technologies and energy-efficient vehicles firsthand,” noted NTEA.
The 2012 event will cover a range of environmentally friendly drive systems, including CNG, propane, battery-electric, extended range electric, ultra-clean biodiesel, bi-fuel CNG, electric hybrids (series and parallel), and hydraulic hybrids. Some of the vehicles will also feature lightweight and aerodynamic technologies that further reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption.
“Driving a truck under real-world conditions provides insights into the vehicle that you can’t get any other way,” remarked Bob Johnson, NTEA fleet relations director. “You can experience for yourself the vehicle’s handling characteristics, sounds, user-friendliness and more.”
A variety of work trucks will be represented in the Ride-and-Drive, including cargo and service vans, dump trucks, walk-in vans, tree-trimming trucks, utility trucks, box trucks, cutaways and pickups.
The Green Truck Ride-and-Drive is sponsored by Hino Trucks and companies providing vehicles for the event are:
- Altec Industries (stationary demonstration)
- BAE Systems
- Cummins Crosspoint
- Electric Vehicles International
- Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation
- Freightliner Trucks
- Hino Trucks
- IMPCO Automotive
- International Truck
- Isuzu Commercial Truck of America
- Kenworth Truck Co
- Knapheide Manufacturing Company (The)
- Leggett & Platt Commercial Vehicle Products
- Lightning Hybrids
- Motiv Power Systems
- Peterbilt Motors Company
- Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)
- Ram Trucks
- Reading Truck Body
- Roush CleanTech
- Smith Electric Vehicles
NTEA noted that access to the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive is included with Work Truck Show registration. Attendees sign up on the show floor for the vehicles they want to drive on a first-come, first-served basis. A CDL is only equired to drive a few of the vehicles and attendees without a CDL are welcome to ride in those vehicles as they are driven by manufacturers’ reps. The Ride-and-Drive course covers city streets to provide a realistic driving experience.
Complete ride-and-drive vehicle descriptions will be available online in January. Click here for more information on the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive, the Green Truck Summit and other Work Truck Show 2012 green products and programs.
To register for The Work Truck Show 2012, go to www.ntea.com or call 1-800-441-NTEA (6832).
