The production of a fleet of 6 Class-6 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) armored vehicles, which are powered via battery-pack and/or natural gas (CNG), has now been finished by Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), according to a new press release.
The new fleet of medium-duty plug-in electric armored trucks represents the first such fleet in the industry, apparently, and will allow customer Sectran Security to reduce annual diesel fuel use by more than 31,000 gallons a year. The new PHEV fleet will be used by Sectran Security as a direct replacement for its diesel vehicles on regular Cash-In Transit routes.
The PHEV armored vehicle fleet creation comprises part of EDI’s participation in the California Energy Commission (CEC) programs — specifically an effort to integrate the firm’s EDI PowerDrive 6000 solution into Class-6, International-brand armored vehicles.
The press release provides more:
“The fleet of six 26,000 pound, Class-6 medium duty armored trucks marks the creation of another industry-first for Efficient Drivetrains zero emissions PHEV trucks that operate primarily with electricity, and feature range extension utilizing cleaner, renewable natural gas. The result is a fleet that operates with the same expected OEM performance while reducing emissions by up to 99.9% in certain duty cycles.
“Fleet end user Sectran Security armored vehicles make frequent stops as part of their highly congested city routes in Southern California. At each stop, engines are kept idling for security purposes, but now risk violating California’s strict diesel idling regulations, which prohibit idling the engine for more than 5 minutes. With the modernized PHEV trucks, engine idling is eliminated entirely, by operating in all-electric mode during stop-and-go operations, and in hybrid mode using RNG during highway operations. By deploying the full fleet of 6, the vehicles enable Sectran to reduce annual diesel consumption by 31,000+ gallons, significantly reducing annual fuel costs, and emissions by up to 99.9%.”
In addition to these recent retrofits, EDI is now also working on the creation of plug-in electric versions of various agricultural and port facility medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
On that note, I recommend a look at this article here: Electric Semi Trucks & Heavy-Duty Trucks — Available Models & Planned Models (In-Depth List)
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