Once a week, my alarm clock is truly unnecessary … the rumblings of the trash truck, with the loud squealing of braking with the roar of acceleration between driveways, ensure that I won’t sleep late that morning. For awhile, I’ve been wondering why hybrid technologies aren’t making into those garbage trucks. While regenerative braking would hopefully cut down on the noise, at least I would be woken up by the ‘glorious sound of energy efficiency in the morning’. Bit by bit, that hoped-for day is approaching.
The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded Volvo $1.4 million to develop hybrid refuse collection trucks based on a system that Volvo had already developed for the US Air Force. Green Car Congress has discussed the I-SAM hybrid system a couple times. The I-SAM “supports regenerative braking; electric launch and assist; electrification of power steering, air compressor and airconditioning; idle avodance …”
Over all, “the goal of the project is to achieve fuel savings of up to 30%.”
And, well, perhaps to let me sleep longer one day a week?
Is that too much to ask?
Is it?
3 responses so far ↓
1 Plugging in that School Bus for an Energy Smart Future » Celsias // Nov 17, 2007 at 12:56 pm
[…] Walmart and its hybrid trucks, they are hitting the semi-trailer world. There are also efforts to apply hybrids to trash trucks which also offers the opportunity to silence those squealing brakes at 5:45 am. Ann Arbor, […]
2 Obama Admin Plugging In School Buses // Apr 21, 2009 at 9:33 am
[…] Walmart and its hybrid trucks, they are hitting the semi-trailer world. There are also efforts to apply hybrids to trash trucks and offer the opportunity to silence those squealing brakes at 5:45 am. Ann Arbor, Michigan, has […]
3 CAP’s American Fuel: Flawed on so many levels // Apr 27, 2010 at 1:07 pm
[…] bus?) There are even hybrid tractor trailors, with some 30 percent improved fuel efficiency. Hydraulic hybridization works well with some heavy vehicles, like trash trucks. Again, all of these options provide better oil savings per $ invested, with (significant) other […]