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Freightliner Hybrid Beverage Truck Rolls off Production Line

26 January, 2008 12:00:00

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Freightliner Trucks announced that it has begun production of its Business Class M2 106 Hybrid drop frame beverage. Designed for fuel savings and reduced emissions, the Class 6 features the Eaton medium-duty hybrid electric system and is a powerful performer built specifically to address the challenges of hauling loads in an urban setting.

The first trucking manufacturer in the country to offer drop frame hybrid electric beverage trucks, Freightliner Trucks responded to the needs of the market by providing a fuel efficient truck that benefited the environment, said Melissa Kellogg, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks.

“Freightliner engineered a vehicle more conducive to sustainability,” Kellogg said. “Our customers want a better business tool that improves efficiency and environmental stewardship.”

Freightliner’s hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), which features a diesel engine coupled with an electric motor/generator and batteries, works in line with the engine and transmission enabling operation with electric or diesel power either separately or together.

“The M2 106 can boast up to a 30 percent savings in fuel consumption and up to an 87 percent reduction in idling time,” said Mark Lloyd, market development manager for Eaton. “Eaton Corporation developed and supplies the hybrid electric system for Freightliner Trucks.”

The medium-duty hybrid system uses
a parallel, pre-transmission design with
Eaton’s Fuller UltraShift automated
transmission.

Primary components are the Hybrid
Drive Unit (HDU), which combines a
clutch, a 44 kW/420 Nm motor/generator and automatically controlled manual
transmission; the motor inverter/controller;
the DC/DC converter; and
a 2 kWh li-ion battery pack.

An added benefit of reducing idling time and subsequent lower emissions is that the M2 106 produces less noise, allowing for quieter loading and unloading in urban settings.

Freightliner engineers also maximized the amount of space of the 12-bay beverage body by mounting most of the integrated hybrid components underneath and behind the cab.

“We designed the M2 106 Hybrid to maximize capacity so that our beverage customers could haul larger quantities,” Kellogg said. “Freightliner Trucks continues to lead the industry in innovation and new technologies that benefit our customers.”

Ideal for easy access to cargo and featuring simplified loading and unloading, the drop frame truck maximizes load capacity while maintaining superior maneuverability, visibility and driver comfort which the Business Class M2 is known for. The aerodynamic aluminum cab offers a 55-degree wheel cut, sloped hood and a 2,500-square-inch windshield for excellent visibility and increased safety.

The M2 106 Hybrid originally entered the market as a prototype at the 2006 Great American Trucking Show. The truck traveled across the United States to customers interested in testing it within their fleets.

In addition to the beverage market, the M2 Hybrid is ideal for utility, pickup and delivery and power takeoff operations.

“Hybrids are a win-win for both the industry and the environment, and Freightliner is pleased to be the first to offer the drop frame beverage hybrid in the market,” Kellogg said.

[source: Freightliner Trucks]

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