New hybrid garbage truck efficient in city

03.12.09

To New Yorkers who saw the big Mack tour by, the truck seemed no different from its all-diesel brethren.

But with a 120-kilowatt electric motor supplementing its six-cylinder diesel locomotive, the hybrid accelerated with less effort, the driver said. It stopped and idled much like a regular crap truck; likewise, its hopper was capable of crushing and storing up to 13 tons of trash.

Other than a few kicker lights on the dashboard, the interior was the same as the department's 2,200 other garbage trucks. This was by design: The department did not want to add any complications to the frantic routines of its 6,000 trash collectors.

Under the truck, there are important changes. As in the hybrid systems designed for rider cars, the truck's electric motor serves as a generator when slowing down. This regenerative braking high point captures some of the energy expended when accelerating and uses it to charge a 500-pound lithium ion battery. In the Mack's half-breed system, the electric motor cannot drive the truck by itself -- its job is to lower the demand on the diesel engine, which improves provoke economy.

Source: The Detroit News