The company said that the Model 320 Hybrid is the fuel-efficient car suitable for municipal and residential solid waste transportation fleets who work in urban areas requiring clean, quiet operation. The Model 320 Hybrid was engineered to meet the demands of refuse collection routes with 800-1200 stops per day.
Its hydraulic system captures the truck’s kinetic energy during braking to assist in launching and accelerating the vehicle. The HLA technology works by recovering up to 75% of the energy normally lost by the vehicle’s brakes in the form of pressurized hydraulic fluid, the company added.
This fluid is stored until the driver next accelerates the vehicle, which reduces fuel consumption and wear on the engine, the company added. Testing has shown reduction in maintenance costs, and indicated the potential to reduce annual brake replacement costs by three to four times over a similar non-hybrid baseline truck.
The company claimed that the hybrid provides fuel efficiency by using stored energy to launch the vehicle without power from the primary engine in the fuel economy mode. In performance mode, the stored energy is released and blended with engine power at launch. Here, a double-digit savings in fuel economy can be realized, along with an 18% improvement in acceleration.
Bill Jackson, general manager of Peterbilt, said: “Testing has proven that the Model 320 Hybrid powered by Hydraulic Launch Assist Technology is an ideal environmental option for refuse applications.
“Municipalities and refuse customers have realized dramatic improvements in fuel economy and significant reductions in emissions and maintenance costs while operating the Model 320 Hybrid.”
