Hybrid Commercial Trucks Market to Bloom

The world has pretty much come to terms with the idea that the automotive world has changed forever this year. The launch of not one, but two electric vehicles on the passenger car market, the continuous launch of hybrids and the increasing appetite consumers have for greener fuels has shaped in 2010 the form of things to come.

For fleet operators, and especially for transporters, the shift to hybrids and electric means, most of all, not a greener planet, but a cleaner balance sheet. With less money to be spent on fuel, hybrid commercial trucks are an option most of these transporters and fleet operators will go for in the near future.

At least, this is the conclusion drawn by Pike Research after they conducted their most recent study. According to Pike, whereas in 2010 only 9,000 hybrid trucks have been sold in the US, no less than 100,000 such vehicles will be on the roads by 2015.

“Payback periods on hybrid drivetrains are improving for medium and heavy-duty truck classes, particularly as oil prices continue to rise,” said senior analyst Dave Hurst.

“An increased focus on efficiency and regulatory compliance among fleet managers, combined with a variety of new models being introduced by truck manufacturers, will lead to substantial growth in this market over the next five years.”

As a bonus, the market for hybrid electric trucks will become the largest segment between now and 2015. Unfortunately for those hoping for a 100 percent green fleet of commercial trucks, that's not going to happen any time soon, says Pike.