Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Project to Fund Development and Demonstration of Plug-In Hybrid Work Trucks That Reduce Fuel Consumption by More Than 50 Percent

Pewaukee, WI – January 26, 2017 – Odyne Systems, LLC has received a $2.9 million contract from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and demonstrate plug-in hybrid work trucks (class 5 through 7) that reduce fuel consumption by more than 50 percent and eliminate fuel consumption during stationary operations.

The total project, including contributions by Odyne Systems and its partners, is anticipated to be approximately $7 million. Supporting partners of the project include Freightliner Trucks, Allison Transmission, Inc., National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, AVL and others.

The project will focus on significantly improving driving fuel efficiency of work trucks and fully electrifying jobsite functions to achieve greater than 50% reduction in daily fuel use. Odyne Systems will work with national research laboratories and project partners to further develop advanced efficiency technology which will be demonstrated in major fleets as part of the project.

Odyne technology improves fuel efficiency both while driving and at the work site. Odyne Systems is recognized by Allison Transmission as its exclusively-approved PTO-based hybrid system. The Odyne system interfaces with Allison 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Series™ transmissions to provide launch assist and regenerative braking while driving for improved fuel economy. The systems are capable of electrically powering equipment on trucks, including large hydraulic lifts, air compressors and jackhammers, with the engine off. Odyne systems support 6 to 18 kW of exportable power from the battery, (versus 3 kW on other systems) plenty of power to replace a generator for almost any work site job. No other truck hybrid system exports that much power from the battery for the work site.

Joe Dalum, President and CEO of Odyne Systems, LLC commented, “I am very pleased that Odyne Systems has been selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) to research, develop, and demonstrate advanced plug-in technology for trucks. We are excited to bring additional improvements in efficiency technology across a broader market, contributing to our nation’s focus on energy independence and security.”

John Petras, program lead, stated, “We have assembled a great team of project partners. Odyne and the entire project team are very pleased to have been selected to move into the next stage of development.”

The work truck market is estimated at 145,000 vehicles annually in the U.S., with an installed base of over 1.4 million vehicles.

Odyne systems are modular, and can be applied to a wide range of work truck chassis in various applications. They can also be applied to existing trucks. Odyne Systems has fielded more class 5 through 7 plug-in hybrid work trucks to fleets throughout the United States than any other supplier.

About Odyne Systems, LLC
Odyne is a leader in hybrid drive systems for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Odyne’s advanced plug-in hybrid technology enables trucks over 14,000 pounds to have substantially lower fuel consumption, lower emissions, improved performance, quieter job site operation and reduced operating and maintenance costs. Odyne has fielded more plug-in hybrid systems for large work trucks throughout the United States than any other supplier. Odyne systems are modular and are integrated to powertrains during the new vehicle manufacturing process or are retrofit to existing truck chassis in various applications. The systems are sold and serviced through a worldwide distribution network including Altec, Versalift, Utilimaster and Terex Utilities. Odyne has also authorized selected Allison Transmission distributors to service Odyne systems across North America. For further information, visit www.odyne.com.

About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and is a leader in hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are used in a variety of applications including refuse, construction, fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. With a market presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit www.allisontransmission.com.

About Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 5-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. For more information, go to www.freightliner.com.