http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/busine...bu052000c.html

"Mitsubishi Fuso introduces "green" diesel-electric hybrid light truck in Japan Mitsubishi Fuso introduced a "green" diesel-electric hybrid light truck Wednesday that it said will deliver top fuel efficiency among rival hybrid commercial vehicles on Japanese roads.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. said in a statement that the Canter Eco Hybrid, is "a pioneering hybrid electric commercial vehicle for the Japan market," meeting the latest stringent Japanese government emissions regulations.

Mitsubishi Fuso, 85 percent owned by DaimlerChrysler AG of Germany, plans to sell several hundred Canter Eco Hybrid trucks by the end of 2006, with numbers picking up in coming years, it said. The company is beginning customer delivers in Japan, it said. . . ."

Let us say you've made your mark producing trucks for small businesses and large fleets. Then one day, someone starts selling trucks that pay for themselves in fuel savings like the hybrid taxis in New York and San Francisco . . .


Bob Wilson

 

Yup... I think there is certainly a place for hybrid technology in medium-duty delivery trucks and industrial vans. I would think an electric motor assist would be perfect for launching a heavy vehicle from 0-10 MPH. Since delivery trucks/vans do mostly urban and suburban driving, they would also benefit from the hybrid start/stop function.

Kudos to DaimletChrysler for realizing this!

 

Can you imagine the regen you'd get from a truck that size? I do wonder how they do auto-stop in a diesel. I'm not an expert, but every diesel I've ever driven (when I borrowed one) was very tempermental in terms of being warmed up and cooled down. Maybe it's just fine once warm...

 

Since our hybrids have 3-4 times the power of a regular starter and a direct connection, think of them as 'electric' pony motors. The diesels, even when cold, won't have a chance!

Bob Wilson

 

Not to mention the surface area of the roof! Put up a few solar panels, make it plug in, and a truck like that might just run on electric until noon! With renewable fuels, it might just run all day without any oil at all.

Not this year, but what a pleasant thought!