Hybrid refuse vehicles put to work in Florida

Parker Hannifin Corporation in partnership with Autocar, a manufacturer of commercial vehicles and class 8 trucks, delivered hybrid-powered refuse vehicles that place three South Florida municipalities among the nation’s pioneers in adopting the best technology available to promote cost savings and sustainability in their communities. The new Autocar E3 refuse vehicles feature Parker’s RunWise® advanced series hybrid drive system, which dramatically increases fuel savings and lowers emissions even as it improves drivability and performance.

At its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, EPA played a significant role in pioneering hydraulic hybrid technology and partnered with Parker and Autocar in the early testing of these vehicles.

The RunWise advanced series hybrid drive technology performed so well in South Florida field trials last summer that the communities of Hialeah, Miami-Dade County, and the City of Miami chose to upgrade their refuse collection fleets and purchase a total of 11 Autocar E3 trucks with the new RunWise technology. RunWise features proprietary software that allows for seamless shifting and smoother braking, improving drivability.

During a full month of testing in South Florida, the RunWise system registered a 42 percent reduction in fuel consumption, which is equivalent to nearly double the miles per gallon. On an annual basis, the green technology reduces each truck’s carbon footprint by more than 38 tons along routes with frequent stops. In addition, the technology extends the brake life for each truck by up to eight times depending on the duty cycle, resulting in dramatically reduced maintenance costs.