This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
May 10, 2005
DOE Showcases Clean Diesel and Hybrid Trucks and Buses
 |
This hybrid-electric utility truck was developed jointly by International and Eaton.
|
Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman opened an exhibition of energy-efficient clean diesel and advanced hybrid commercial vehicles in Washington, D.C., on May 10th. The exhibition featured vehicles from Allison, Caterpillar, Cummins, Eaton, International, Oshkosh, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Volvo. Several of the vehicles were developed as part of DOE's 21st Century Truck Partnership, a government and industry initiative to develop advanced technologies for fuel-efficient commercial vehicles. Held at a conference of the Society of Automotive Engineers, the exhibition was cosponsored by the Diesel Technology Forum. See the DOE press release and Secretary Bodman's remarks at the event.
Roughly a quarter of the vehicles that travel on U.S. highways are commercial vehicles. In the absence of significant technology development, DOE projections show a doubling in fuel use for commercial trucks by 2050. To reduce that growth in fuel use, DOE's 21st Century Truck Partnership aims to increase the fuel economy of new long-haul trucks by nearly 80 percent in the next 15 years. More information on the 21st Century Truck Partnership is available on DOE's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program Web site.
