Coca-Cola Enterprises will purchase 120 new trucks powered by Eaton’s hybrid electric drive

[DainBramaged]

http://www.prweb.com/releases/hybrid/eaton/prweb728124.htm

The Coca-Cola order represents the largest North American commercial order to date for Eaton’s hybrid systems and follows the beverage company’s purchase of 20 trucks with Eaton hybrid power systems in 2007.

Extensive testing and evaluations conducted by Coca-Cola Enterprises found that Eaton’s hybrid-electric drivetrain equipped trucks decreased emissions by roughly 32 percent and fuel consumption by up to 37 percent as compared to conventionally-powered trucks in Coca-Cola’s current fleet. Coca-Cola also reported lower maintenance costs on the hybrid-powered trucks.

Eaton employs parallel-type, diesel-electric hybrid architecture with Eaton’s Fuller® UltraShift® automated transmission. It incorporates an electric motor/generator between the output of an automated clutch and input of the transmission. The system recovers energy normally lost during braking and stores the energy in batteries. When electric torque is blended with engine torque, the stored energy is used to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance for a given speed or used to operate the vehicle with electric power only. The system can also be designed to provide energy for use during engine-off worksite operations, further reducing noise, emissions and fuel costs.


http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/ProductsServices/Hybrid/SystemsOverview/HybridElectric/index.htm

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

1. I saw 'hybrid' and 'Coca-Cola' in the same sentence and thought

the nuts at Coca-Cola were going to pour Coke in with the gas, you know, a blend. :crazy:

On another note, good for them. :thumbsup:

[DainBramaged]

2. UPS has invested in the technology too

Eaton also has a pure hydraulic drive that adds even further to reduction in fuel use and emissions. The technology will spread to more and more commercial users over the next decade helping to reduce our carbon dependence. The economics dictate it.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

3. Cool

I hope the school bus industry catches on too.

[DainBramaged]

4. THAT will take forever

Look how long it took for the school bus industry to be led (kicking and screaming) into introducing seat belts into NEW school buses.

A generation from now we may see the change over, but not soon. You have too many towns that are dominated by Rethug board members who think green means Libural.

[amandabeech]

8. Great news about the hydraulic drive!

I wasn't aware that it was in commercial production.

There are lots of dumb 'pugs on school boards, but once diesel goes to $7 or $8, even they may consider buying hybrid buses when the old ones are towed to the junk yard.

The reason I say this is that I have a long-time friend who is a die-hard Republican, a farmer,and president of my home-town school board. He's a smart guy and a very good friend even though he is a Repug--I wish more were like him.

He's getting interested in wind power backed by a pumped-storage facility in the area whereas five years ago he thought that it was all a bunch of hooey. Hybrid buses may make sense to him soon. I'll be he's thinking about whether hybrids will work in tractors!

[tinrobot]

5. If we stopped drinking bottled water...

Coke wouldn't need as many trucks because they wouldn't have to deliver Dasani water.

Just sayin'

Good technology, though...

[DainBramaged]

6. Bottled water is one of my flash points

When I was a kid, bottled water was for the steam iron (distilled). And then America became lazy, and America will bitch about the price of gas but pay TWO FUCKING DOLLARS for a bottle of water amounting to one liter in volume. And less than 60% of the plastic bottles we buy are recycled. The rest wind up in the land fills or the Pacific Ocean.

[kestrel91316]

7. I believe that's a pic of our Los Angeles River you got there.......

And yeah, bottled water just about makes me homicidal........