Hyperdrive touted as fuel-saver for light trucks

June 5, 2002
Hyperdrive, a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain system, is being touted as a major fuel saver for vehicles – especially light and medium trucks up to 20,000 lbs. GVW. Gaithersburg, MD-based Paice Corp. says dynamometer and computer testing of its Hyperdrive system shows that it could cut fuel consumption in pickups by 36% and in SUVs by 57%. Paice presented data for a Hyperdrive system in a U.S.-model
Hyperdrive, a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain system, is being touted as a major fuel saver for vehicles – especially light and medium trucks up to 20,000 lbs. GVW.

Gaithersburg, MD-based Paice Corp. says dynamometer and computer testing of its Hyperdrive system shows that it could cut fuel consumption in pickups by 36% and in SUVs by 57%.

Paice presented data for a Hyperdrive system in a U.S.-model SUV of 3,860 lbs. with towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. The Hyperdrive system with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was compared to a current SUV with a 3.0 liter V-6 and a four-speed automatic transmission.

In the SUV, the Hyperdrive's fuel economy was 40 mpg on the EPA city cycle and 38 mpg on the highway cycle, for a combined rating of 39 mpg. The comparison SUV ratings were 20 city, 31 highway, and 24 combined.

Vehicle performance also improved, Paice says. The Hyperdrive-equipped SUV could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, compared to a gasoline-only SUV's acceleration of 10.8 seconds.

About the Author

Sean Kilcarr | Editor in Chief

Sean Kilcarr is a former longtime FleetOwner senior editor who wrote for the publication from 2000 to 2018. He served as editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2018.

 

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