The daily trash pickup on New York City streets will be a little greener starting in June with the introduction of hybrid collection trucks into its current fleet. The city’s Department of Sanitation showcased the hybrid trucks first at the city’s 21st Annual Vehicle and Equipment Show before sending the trucks out for work. Sanitation drivers will be testing hybrid trucks from Mack, Crane Carrier and Kenworth to determine if the city should invest in additional trucks in the near future.
The Mack TerraPro Low Entry is a rear-loading collection truck that features a parallel hybrid diesel drive train. The TerraPro Low Entry is powered by a 325-horsepower Mack MP7 engine and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries. Mack included its Selective Catalytic Reduction system with this hybrid refuse truck in anticipation of changing emissions standards by the federal government. The truck is uniquely designed for stop-and-start traffic because it does not use any diesel fuel during startup.
Crane Carrier Corporation will deliver a trio of its ISE hybrid-electric collection trucks to New York City in the near future. The Crane Carrier ISE is packaged with a 5.9-liter engine, 120kW generator and a pair of 150kW motors to reduce reliance on diesel fuel. The 288-cell Siemens ultracapacitor system stores power from regenerative braking and provides energy during startup to decrease fuel consumption. The ISE truck will be helpful as a training vehicle due to its Remote Diagnostics System complete with GPS and fuel mileage statistics.
The Department of Sanitation will use the Kenworth T370 diesel-electric hybrid truck to haul small loads of refuse to city dumps. The Kenworth T370 features a 6.7-liter, 300-horsepower PACCAR engine powered by a 2kWh lithium-ion battery along with a standard diesel tank. Eaton worked with Kenworth to develop a parallel hybrid system that could decrease fuel consumption by one-fourth.
The test trucks used by the NYC Department of Transportation represent the city’s long-term goal of reducing emissions. In addition to decreasing greenhouse gases produced by refuse trucks, the city will reduce fuel costs by increase the fleet’s gas mileage over time. New York City will act as an example to other cities that are looking to replace aging truck fleets with greener options. If the hybrid test runs work in New York City, we can expect to see other cities follow the lead with hybrid test runs of their own.
