Volvo Trucks first introduced hybrid commercial vehicles
in London this past summer with six hybrid buses. The automaker is preparing to
roll out an as-yet-unnamed hybrid garbage truck in the London market by 2012
according a press release last week. Veolia Environmental Science will use
these garbage trucks on daily routes throughout central London. Volvo Trucks
conducted 18 months of testing in Stockholm and Goteborg before establishing
this agreement with Veolia.
The key element of the Volvo Trucks hybrid truck is the
I-SAM system, which stands for Integrated Starter, Alternator, Motor. The I-SAM
System mixes with Volvo’s I-Shift automatic transmission to reduce fuel
consumption 30% compared to traditional trucks. The truck is powered by the
Volvo D7 seven-liter diesel engine with 254kW of power along with a 120kW magnet
synchronous electric motor. Volvo used its Swedish field tests to upgrade the
truck’s battery to a 600-volt lithium-ion pack without sacrificing performance.
The Volvo Trucks hybrid garbage truck is also unique because it
incorporates dedicated fuel lines for diesel and electric power. This dual-fuel
system allows the driver to operate with either power source or use both for a
power boost. Volvo Trucks added electric power steering to help truck drivers
navigate around tight corners with ease. The truck also features all-electric
trash compacting and storage thanks to a plug-in compacting system.
Volvo Trucks stated last week that the first units of its hybrid
trash truck will be delivered at 2012 by the most generous estimates. These
estimates push back the automaker’s original estimate of delivery to the market by 2010 based
on decreased R&D funding and poor economic conditions. While the R&D
delay may not be great for Volvo Trucks, it did allow the automaker to make important adjustments based on the 18-month field trial. Company researchers were
able to fine-tune the dual-fuel drive system to eliminate fuel waste during
gear shifts and test out the new lithium-ion battery.
The introduction of hybrid buses, trash trucks and other
commercial vehicles in London is hopefully a launching pad to the rest of the
world. These vehicles offer great examples of how hybrid vehicle technologies
do not limit performance in the heavy-duty market. Volvo Trucks and other
automakers need to be mindful about vehicle price even as the economy begins to
shake free from recession. The initial run of Volvo Trucks trash trucks may be successful
but if cities like London and companies like Veolia cannot afford fleet purchases, these trucks may fade away quickly as novelties.
