XL Hybrids announced the installation of its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in 15 additional passenger and cargo vans for Montgomery County, MD. The 15 upfitted Ford Transit vans have been added to 10 existing Ford Econoline hybrid vans already in use in the county’s fleet.
“We have had the XL Hybrids-equipped vans in our fleet for more than a year and have seen 25 percent MPG improvement over 200,000 road miles,” said William Griffiths, division chief of Montgomery County. “Based on solid ROI of the XL3 system, as we order new vans and trucks our plan is to upfit all possible vans and trucks with XL Hybrids’ technology.”
The 25 hybrid electric vans are being used at various Montgomery County departments, including passenger service, law enforcement, facilities maintenance, as well as for plumbers, electricians and road safety crews.
The county vans are also equipped with XL Hybrids’ XL Link cloud-based fleet vehicle connectivity and analytics system, which measures MPG performance, fuel savings and CO2 reduction. The XL Link reports deliver mobility and easy access to key metrics that are important to fleets’ specific needs and sustainability goals.
“Montgomery County has a comprehensive, forward-thinking sustainability program and we’re pleased that our technology is supporting the County’s green fleet goals,” said Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids’ co-founder and chief operating officer. “The vans are reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel usage, resulting in a quick return on investment. Since the XL3 system requires no special fueling infrastructure, no plugs and no driver training, it works seamlessly in the background with zero impact on fleet operations or service.”
The XL3 hybrid system saves fuel through regenerative braking, a process by which the electric motor helps slow the vehicle when the driver brakes, charging the battery, the company said. When the driver accelerates, the battery releases the energy to the electric motor, helping propel the vehicle, the company added.
