Did you know that the City of Edmonton currently has 7 hybrids in its fleet of vehicles for collecting waste? Two of these trucks were purchased in 2012, and five more were added in 2013 to replace older vehicles. All of the hybrids are currently in active use.
Remember those fun, art-wrapped trucks we featured in Kennedale's new look last month? The two red ones are both hybrids.
The trucks run on diesel, like the other vehicles, but are fitted with a special Engine Stop-Start hybrid system that turns off the engine while the vehicle is immobile. This reduces idling time in vehicles, like collections trucks, that make frequent stops. The engine restarts when the compactor is engaged or when the accelerator is pressed. The transmission remains engaged so there is no lag when starting again. Hydraulic energy is also harvested from braking. Click here to watch a video showing the system in action.The hybrid system reduces exhaust emissions of SO2, NOx, and particulates by 20%, compared to a conventional system. According to the manufacturer, fuel consumption can also be reduced by 15 to 20%. The City of Edmonton plans to conduct an efficiency review of the seven vehicles in early 2014 to find out what kind of numbers we are seeing for our particular usage patterns. They will use that data to make future decisions concerning our waste collections fleet.
We're certainly looking forward to hearing those results, and we'll be sure to share some findings with you in Hybrid Trucks...Part 2.
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