Thursday, September 03, 2009 Major Development of Plug-In Hybrid Commercial Vehicles
 The truck and electrical businesses of Eaton Corp. is going to play a very important part in producing 378 plug-in hybrid electric power vehicles. It will also provide the electrical charging network for the vehicles. All this can be chalked up to a $45.4-million U.S. government grant. Working with other companies such as Ford Motor Co., Eaton will deploy plug-in hybrid electric commercial vehicles to more than 50 utility and municipal fleets nationwide.
In the utility truck application, the plug-in hybrids will be based on the Ford F550 chassis and have a total range of at least 300 miles. The system will provide fuel economy improvement of up to 70% when compared to a standard utility vehicle, with similar reductions in emissions and noise. Plugging it into a standard 120- or 240-volt electrical outlet can recharge the entire system. In addition, the trucks will be capable of powering auxiliary equipment and tools while stopped at a worksite. (SB)
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