The real issue is that truck drivers aren’t the primary decision maker when it comes to how long they have to idle. The Refer drivers need to idle out of necessity. Others idle because that’s company policy. Until a solution comes along that saves companies significant money, without adding a potentially onerous burden of verifying and reimbursing driver claims, not too much will be done.

IdleAire could contract with fleets (if they’re offering a cost effective alternative to idling). But a new onboard alternative, if cost effective, could drive change much quicker, without the additional downsides of IdleAire type systems.

I think the success or failure of this comes down to cost and how well they’re able to train service mechanics on the new system. These trucks drive a lot of miles every week and often require service. How easy that maintenance is for the new battery will play a big role in wide spread adoption in the industry.

It’s great to see companies out there looking for solutions like this. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on to see how it plays out.

But the facts remain that there will be some use of trucks. And if these systems can help reduce fuel charges and pollution, it is better for us all.

And of course better battery design will eventually allow cheap storage for renewable energy.

What truckers like about it is the quiet, no noisy engines all night, but it does nothing for refrigeration trucks so if you’re parked next to one of them, you’re still in for a noisy night.

The makers are pushing forward with more installations and better air filtering.

http://www.idleaire.com/