UPS Buys Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks

US delivery company UPS announced that it recently purchased hydraulic hybrid trucks, a new type of vehicles which are said to provide fuel economy of up to 50 percent when compared to standard diesel trucks. UPS is the first company on this side of the market to adopt hydraulic hybrid trucks, the company's officials said in a press statement, with the first vehicles to be deployed in the first quarter of 2009 in Minneapolis.

"There is no question that hydraulic hybrids, although little known to the public, are ready for prime time use on the streets of America," said David Abney, UPS's chief operating officer. "We are not declaring hydraulic hybrids a panacea for our energy woes, but this technology certainly is as promising as anything we've seen to date."

However, the hydraulic hybrid trucks are still in testings and will continue to be closely monitored even after they arrive on streets, Eaton, the company that developed the hydraulic system, explained.

"We continue to be pleased with the progress and potential of the hydraulic hybrid system," Eaton Chairman and CEO Alexander M. Cutler said at the press conference. "The market for this technology is truly global, and it can provide significant improvements in fuel economy and emission reductions for trucks, buses and off-road vehicles of many shapes and sizes."

Hydraulic hybrid vehicles are pretty new in the automotive industry but analysts estimate an increase in demand in the next few years thanks to the fuel saving they provide. The vehicles purchased by UPS are based on diesel engines which recharge the hydraulic propulsion systems periodically. The fuel saving is enhanced with restored braking energy combined with start/stop technologies, similar to the systems used by car manufacturers on today's models.