Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) said it recently presented the new body styling of its plug-in MT-EV all-electric walk-in van (WIV) during the culmination event at National Odyssey Day.
National Odyssey Day was the final event of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium’s (NAFTC) Odyssey Week. The 2010 Odyssey, the program’s fifth installment, focused on bringing national attention to cleaner, more energy-efficient and smarter choices in alternative transportation technologies.
Held at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research, Odyssey Day is an alternative fuels seminar sponsored by NAFTC, West Virginia University, and the Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition. Its purpose is to educate the general public, community and business leaders about alternative fuels and infrastructure that are present in the marketplace today.
“At FCCC, we are committed to manufacturing sustainable products that help reduce harmful emissions and promote environmental responsibility,” said Bob Harbin, president of FCCC. “We’re pleased to have participated in Odyssey Day with esteemed companies that share in our sustainable values.”
FCCC launched the new generation all-electric WIV with an enhanced body style by Morgan Olson in September at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum in Dearborn, Mich. It is the only chassis domestically engineered and the first in the North American industry to be completely all-electric, including its HVAC system, according to the company. The vehicle’s cab interior is built of lightweight, durable composites that are completely recyclable.
In addition to the all-electric chassis, FCCC manufactures compressed natural gas WIV chassis, hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) chassis, and will offer full production of the hydraulic hybrid vehicle chassis in the first quarter of 2011 for the WIV market segment.
FCCC also designs and manufactures alternative-fuel chassis for the commercial bus and motorhome market segments. In 2008, FCCC introduced ecoFRED, the motorhome industry’s first hybrid-electric chassis, and the FCCC MB-HEV hybrid-electric commercial bus chassis in response to a growing customer demand for alternative-fuel power that provides the same excellent performance and durability as FCCC’s premium diesel-powered chassis, the company said.
