It may be exactly the right time to purchase a hybrid truck. In addition to the growing availability of models designed for different types of fleet applications, the once  developmental technology has clearly matured. Furthermore, other currently available incentives may make this decision too hard to pass up.

Clear proof of manufacturers’ efforts to develop, validate and offer hybrid truck models can be found in the product family of Peterbilt Motors Co. For pickup-and-delivery and other medium-duty applications, the company offers its Model 330 hybrid electric. The Class 6 model, with a 26,000-lb. GVW rating, integrates an Eaton hybrid drive system and the 260-HP PACCAR PX-6 engine to deliver up to 860 lb.-ft. of torque.

Peterbilt also offers the Class 7 Model 335 hybrid electric powered by a PX-6 engine rated at 300 HP. Available in truck and tractor configurations with GVW ratings up to 33,000 lbs. (up to 55,000 lbs. GCW), the lineup includes the Model 335 hybrid beverage tractor, which was first introduced to beverage distributors earlier this year.
Developed especially for vocational stop-and-go applications such as refuse collection, and currently being readied for full production later this year, is the Class 8 Peterbilt low cab-forward Model 320 hydraulic hybrid. Utilizing the hydraulic launch assist (HLA) system developed by Eaton Corp., the hydraulic hybrid technology captures and stores the truck’s kinetic energy during braking and uses it to assist in launching and accelerating the vehicle. The process not only improves fuel efficiency, but also reduces wear on the engine and braking components.

Hydraulic hybrid vehicles hold great promise for waste collection fleets, in particular, because their vehicles experience many cycles of braking and acceleration. Late last year, Peterbilt and Eaton announced that Waste Management Inc. was field-testing four Model 320 parallel hydraulic hybrid trucks in Fort Worth, Texas to study the hybrid system’s efficiency and reliability. Waste Management, which operates one of the country’s largest commercial refuse vehicle fleets, has a goal to increase the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions of its fleet by 15% by 2020.

Beyond available hybrid vehicles and growing proof of their effectiveness, staying ahead of fuel price increases should also be a factor in the decision to deploy hybrid trucks. This year, there are other financial and cost benefits to consider as well.
For example, Peterbilt announced that its complete line of hybrid products was made eligible for U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants up to 25% of the total quoted vehicle cost. Offered under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act, the grants were for regional, state and local governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and public and private companies that operate on behalf of these entities.

Additionally, the Department of Treasury’s heavy manufacturing and transportation group has certified Peterbilt’s Model 335 Class 7 and Model 330 Class 6 hybrid electric vehicles used in utility and pickup-and-delivery applications as eligible for federal tax credits. The maximum $12,000 credit for Class 7 hybrids is available for the Model 335. A $6,000 credit, the maximum for Class 6 hybrids, is available for the Model 330. (For more information on the 2009 incentives, visit the Peterbilt Green Technologies website at www.peterbilt.com/eco/index.htm and click on the Peterbilt qualified heavy hybrid vehicles link to the Internal Revenue Service website.)

“The business flexibility and fuel efficiency potential of Peterbilt’s line-up of medium-duty hybrid vehicles is complemented by the federal tax credits being offered through the end of 2009,” says Larry Reding, assistant general manager of sales and marketing at Peterbilt. “The combination of fuel gains, environmental awareness and available tax credits makes this an optimal time to purchase a hybrid vehicle.”

Adding it all up—the availability of advanced, validated hybrid technology, fuel savings, tax credits and the immeasurable but equally important value of environmental awareness—there may not be a better or smarter time to buy medium-duty hybrids for fleet operations.