Eaton Corporation announced that it will begin offering retrofit versions of its Hydraulic Launch Assist – HLA hybrid power system for refuse trucks later this year. The Refuse Retrofit Program will be offered through select qualified partners and installers. Eaton is currently seeking partners for the program.
“By retrofitting existing trucks, Eaton is giving our customers a best-of-both-worlds scenario,” said Seth Deutsch, manager – Hybrid Market Planning. “Until now, our refuse market customers in North America have been frustrated in their efforts to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in fleets of newer trucks with many years of service left in them. They have been asking for a hybrid solution that does not require the purchase of a new truck, and we’re pleased to deliver the retrofit option.”
The Eaton Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) system is a parallel hybrid system, in which the conventional powertrain is supplemented by the addition of the hydraulic system that propels the truck forward and helps slow it down. The system is best suited for vehicles that operate in stop and go duty cycles such as refuse trucks. Benefits of the system include 20 to 30 percent improvement in fuel economy, longer brake life, and increased productivity due to the extra power the HLA system provides.
Companies such as FedEx, UPS, Coca-Cola Enterprises, PepsiCo and Wal-Mart are using delivery vehicles with the Eaton system. Work trucks with Eaton hybrid power are also in service at Florida Power and Light and many utility and telecom companies across North America. Benefits of the existing Eaton hybrid systems include fuel savings up to 35 percent, with similar percentages in emission reductions, extended brake life and idle time reductions of up to 87 percent during work site operations.