xcel
05-04-2006, 10:31 PM
Oshkosh Truck's model increases gas mileage by 20 percent from standard 3 to 4 miles per gallon. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/AUTO01/605040374/1148)
Emily Fredrix - Associated Press – May 4, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Oshkosh_Hybrid_Truck.jpg
Oshkosh Truck, exclusive provider of the Army's heavy cargo-hauling HEMTT, is finishing up prototypes of its hybrid.
OSHKOSH, Wis. - At the top of a 10-foot-high mound of dirt, Gary Schmiedel takes in the silence. The military truck he's driving barely hums just before it careens down a steep incline into a muddy pool.
Normally the vehicle - a Heavy Expanded Mobility Technical Truck or HEMTT - would be so loud the occupants wouldn't be able to talk to each other, said Schmiedel, vice president of product engineering for Oshkosh Truck Corp. But this version is about as loud as a standard sedan, with a smooth ride, splashy computer screens and a comfortable interior.
Oshkosh Truck, the military's exclusive provider of the Army's heavy cargo-hauling HEMTT vehicles, is finishing up prototypes of its electric hybrid. It not only increases gas mileage by about 20 percent from the standard 3 to 4 miles per gallon, but also it generates enough electricity to power a city block or hospital. The company, based in this city about 100 miles north of Milwaukee, just signed a contract to produce a prototype of a similar vehicle for the Marines.
It's not clear how the hybrid technology will affect prices for the military vehicles, whose diesel version costs from $200,000 to $400,000, said Schmiedel, vice president of advanced product engineering for Oshkosh Truck. Even modest reductions in gas mileage help, he said, pointing out that 70 percent of what military vehicles carry is fuel.
The hybrid technology can be far-reaching, said Schmiedel. Commercial vehicles such as garbage trucks and emergency vehicles all could benefit from using less fuel, he said. The Department of Energy has said it hopes to double the fuel economy of garbage trucks by 2010.
The ability to generate power could be another selling point, he said.
"First and foremost it's a truck. If it has the flexibility to act as a generator in a pinch, that's a heck of a disaster recovery attribute," Schmiedel said.
The military is working with several companies to get power systems into its hybrid vehicles, said Paul Mehney, communications officer with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, in Warren. Hybrid generators would eliminate the need to haul in a separate diesel generator, he said.
"It comes in real handy in the field. You can power an operation center out of that. You can power water purification systems off that," Mehney said.
In tweaking the ProPulse technology, Schmiedel said engineers created dozens of other perks, such as shrinking vehicle weight and placing engines in a way that makes maintenance easier. A specialized technician used to spend up to 24 hours swapping an engine but now any mechanic can do it in 20 minutes.
"What we think will drive hybridization is when there is some benefit over and above saving fuel," Schmiedel said.
Emily Fredrix - Associated Press – May 4, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Oshkosh_Hybrid_Truck.jpg
Oshkosh Truck, exclusive provider of the Army's heavy cargo-hauling HEMTT, is finishing up prototypes of its hybrid.
OSHKOSH, Wis. - At the top of a 10-foot-high mound of dirt, Gary Schmiedel takes in the silence. The military truck he's driving barely hums just before it careens down a steep incline into a muddy pool.
Normally the vehicle - a Heavy Expanded Mobility Technical Truck or HEMTT - would be so loud the occupants wouldn't be able to talk to each other, said Schmiedel, vice president of product engineering for Oshkosh Truck Corp. But this version is about as loud as a standard sedan, with a smooth ride, splashy computer screens and a comfortable interior.
Oshkosh Truck, the military's exclusive provider of the Army's heavy cargo-hauling HEMTT vehicles, is finishing up prototypes of its electric hybrid. It not only increases gas mileage by about 20 percent from the standard 3 to 4 miles per gallon, but also it generates enough electricity to power a city block or hospital. The company, based in this city about 100 miles north of Milwaukee, just signed a contract to produce a prototype of a similar vehicle for the Marines.
It's not clear how the hybrid technology will affect prices for the military vehicles, whose diesel version costs from $200,000 to $400,000, said Schmiedel, vice president of advanced product engineering for Oshkosh Truck. Even modest reductions in gas mileage help, he said, pointing out that 70 percent of what military vehicles carry is fuel.
The hybrid technology can be far-reaching, said Schmiedel. Commercial vehicles such as garbage trucks and emergency vehicles all could benefit from using less fuel, he said. The Department of Energy has said it hopes to double the fuel economy of garbage trucks by 2010.
The ability to generate power could be another selling point, he said.
"First and foremost it's a truck. If it has the flexibility to act as a generator in a pinch, that's a heck of a disaster recovery attribute," Schmiedel said.
The military is working with several companies to get power systems into its hybrid vehicles, said Paul Mehney, communications officer with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, in Warren. Hybrid generators would eliminate the need to haul in a separate diesel generator, he said.
"It comes in real handy in the field. You can power an operation center out of that. You can power water purification systems off that," Mehney said.
In tweaking the ProPulse technology, Schmiedel said engineers created dozens of other perks, such as shrinking vehicle weight and placing engines in a way that makes maintenance easier. A specialized technician used to spend up to 24 hours swapping an engine but now any mechanic can do it in 20 minutes.
"What we think will drive hybridization is when there is some benefit over and above saving fuel," Schmiedel said.