The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has partnered with UPS, Eaton Corp., International Truck and Engine Corp., and the U.S. Army National Automotive Center to build the first full hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.
Through hydraulic hybrid technology, the government-corporate partnership aims to reduce emissions while improving fuel economy—especially during stop-and-go driving.
The partnership’s first phase features the completion of a hydraulic hybrid powertrain and propulsion system integrated with the drive axle. Hydraulic motors and hydraulic tanks are used to store energy, a contrast with electric motors and batteries used in electric hybrids.
A Clean Diesel Combustion (CDC) engine capable of demonstrating cost-effective compliance with the upcoming federal 2010 diesel emission standard without the need for NOx reduction controls in the exhaust system is slated for completion within a year, as the second phase of the project.
