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The project created by the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) and working closely with Eaton Corporation, was
unveiled to President Barack Obama during his recent visit to the
Electric Vehicle Technical Center of Southern California Edison
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Ricardo’s involvement
in the first phase of the project included the controls system support
to Eaton for the integration of a high energy battery pack into a Ford
F-550 chassis, and the modification of the control system to allow
electric power take off operation. The battery system was designed to
supplement engine power and also provide power to operate the utility
truck boom. The plug-in hybrid drivetrain is expected to deliver up to
70% in fuel economy and emissions reduction. |
The plug-in hybrid
truck is the first of five ‘boom and bucket’ trucks that will be
provided by Eaton, EPRI and Ford to public and private utility fleets in
the United States for use and evaluation. In addition to fuel and
emissions savings while the truck is on the road, additional energy
savings are available by utilising the electric side of the system to
power the ancillary systems and tools when the truck is stopped at a
work site.
“We see this as a
great opportunity to bring electric power into the commercial vehicle
industry and utilize it both for improving fuel economy while driving,
and for meeting power demands while stationary”, said Karina Morley,
Ricardo global product group director for Controls & Electronics. “This
project exemplifies Ricardo’s ongoing commitment to reduce fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions”. Ricardo has successfully
completed well in excess of 100 hybrid projects that span hybrid
configurations from micro hybrid to full hybrid and plug-in hybrids, in
the commercial, military and automotive domains.
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