Innovative Transport Solutions and the Cooperative Research Center for Forestry have unveiled their efforts to improve fuel efficiency in the Australian forestry industry. This mixture of private dollars and academic knowledge are geared toward production of retrofitting kits for 6×6 trucks used by lumber companies. Innovative is also working toward a kit that can convert common 6×4 vehicles into 6×6 trucks as well as a truck conversion kit for distribution in America by 2009.
The Argosy hybrid prototype built by Innovative Transport Solutions will get the attention of industry experts later this summer. This plug-in hybrid truck will be a featured display at the Sydney Truck Show in August 2008 to maximize exposure for this innovative product. Innovative Transport Solutions will send out the converted 6×6 truck on a trial run from Sydney to Melbourne the week after the auto show. This grueling 1,200-mile test will test out Innovative’s claims that plug-in retrofitting is possible on heavy-duty trucks.
The Argosy 6×6 truck has been touted as a fuel-efficient vehicle that can achieve 25% fuel reduction compared to traditional trucks. Innovative has installed ultra capacitors and a lithium ion battery as the complement to a 550 horsepower engine. An 18-speed auto transmission conserves energy by eliminating needless shifts. The electric motor is liquid cooled to avoid overheating due to extended use of electricity.
Every reader should use imagination to get behind the wheel of the Argosy and determine the benefits of Innovative’s retrofitting project. The Argosy uses a mixture of diesel and electrical power to accelerate up to highway speed. This retrofitted truck uses cruise control during extended periods on flat surfaces to conserve diesel fuel. Innovative has developed its electronic drive to keep RPMs steady as the Argosy climbs steep hills. Regenerative braking and a low-speed “quiet” mode conserve electricity as drivers head through urban areas.
The retrofitting efforts put forth by Innovative Transport Solutions are worthy of exploration in the United States. American truck drivers are experiencing the crunch of fuel costs associated with long hauls. The expansive routes traveled by trucking companies from East Coast to West Coast make innovations like regenerative braking necessary to keep products on store shelves.
