Los Alamos County has taken delivery of the first hydraulic hybrid refuse truck in the State of New Mexico—a Peterbilt Model 320 equipped with Eaton’s hydraulic launch assist system (HLA) and a Wayne Curbtender residential automated side loader.
The truck will be used in daily residential refuse pickup operations and is the latest initiative by the county toward meeting its goals for Environmental Sustainability.
According to information from the manufacturers, the new Model 320 Hybrid with Eaton HLA can save more than 1,000 gallons of fuel per year, reduce emissions by up to 20% and can extend brake life by up to 300%. The HLA System captures the truck’s kinetic energy during braking to assist in launching and accelerating the vehicle. The technology works by recovering up to 75% of the energy normally lost as heat by the vehicle’s brakes in the form of pressurized hydraulic fluid. The HLA technology has been tested on refuse vehicles in Fort Worth, Texas and Denver, Colorado and is ideally suited for the “stop and go” applications of daily residential refuse pickup.
“We are pleased to be the first community to operate a hybrid refuse truck in New Mexico,” County Council Chairman Mike Wismer said today. “With this new technology, we will not only improve the efficiency of our residential refuse collection, but also help reduce emissions to protect the environment for our residents.”
A two-day intensive training and certification class is being held today and tomorrow at the Holiday Inn Express in Los Alamos, in conjunction with the truck’s delivery. The training seminar will be beneficial to the local economy, as it has brought dozens of technicians and drivers from around the state to Los Alamos. Other communities in New Mexico are here in Los Alamos to either be trained or to inspect the new truck, as they may be considering the technology for use in their own communities.
Los Alamos National Laboratory employees are also attending the training. They will take delivery on a new Peterbilt Model 320 hydraulic hybrid, equipped with a New Way Mammoth 40 front loader, in September, 2010.