New Castle Firm's Battery Powers Hybrid 18 Wheelers
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A company that produces advanced battery systems here has developed an energy cell for electric hybrid Class 8 trucks, and will display the technology at the Indiana Green Fleet Conference later this month. Axion Power, a developer of advanced lead-carbon PbC batteries and energy storage systems, reports the new technology will be demonstrated at the conference in a Class 8 truck developed by ePower Engine Systems.
"There is considerable enthusiasm being generated for this hybrid heavy-duty truck because of the fuel savings and emissions improvements it is demonstrating during test drives," said Axion CEO Thomas Granville. "The entire trucking industry looking for new ways to save on fuel costs as well as control harmful emissions, and we believe we have the system and the unique battery technology to assist them on both fronts."
Class 8 trucks consume more than 19 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, Granville noted. It's estimated that the ePower hybrid system, using PbC batteries, can reduce fuel consumption by 35% going forward, he said.
"The system continues to perform well in road test drives of both short and long duration," he said.
The Indiana Green Fleet Conference runs from Sept. 23-25 in Elizabeth, Ind. The demonstration truck will be powered by a battery array and will be available for drivers during a "Ride and Drive" program. The truck has been converted from a standard combustion engine to series diesel electric hybrid drive train system that includes a string of 56 PbC batteries.
In addition to the ePower hybrid truck, Axion will also display its PbC battery. The battery was selected for the ePower truck because of its high life cycle, its unique high-charge capability, its ability to recharge and discharge quickly, and its self-equalization capability, the company said.
The ePower hybrid truck and PbC battery technology will also be demonstrated at the TMC SuperTech 2013 Expo in Pittsburgh Sept. 9-12 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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