Parker Hannifin and partner Autocar have added compressed natural gas fuel to an Autocar E3 trash truck with Parker’s fuel and brake-saving RunWise hydraulic hybrid drive. This prototype using a Heil body, has been run through month-long initial trials with Republic Services in Chula Vista, California. The vehicle demonstration was conducted over one month on a collection route typically served by a traditional CNG truck.
“Test data shows that the RunWise system is delivering up to 20 percent incremental fuel savings over traditional CNG trucks and a 10 percent improvement in productivity, and we can anticipate that reduced brake wear and routine maintenance requirements will also contribute to the value of these clean energy vehicles,” said Shane Terblanche, general manager, hybrid drive systems division.
The RunWise Advanced Series Hybrid Drive System improves upon the typical gains achieved by using natural gas as a fuel source. Parker will continue to develop this technology with its industry partners to commercialize a CNG option for its RunWise Advanced Series Hybrid Drive System. For additional information on Parker’s hydraulic hybrid drive technology, visit parkerhybrid.parker.com.