NTEA: Work Truck Show exhibitors display truck bodies that help save fuel
Apr 1, 2011 12:00 PM, BY BRUCE SAUER
GOING green? Want to save fuel? Truck body engineers can help.
Environmental issues and rising fuel prices are key customer concerns today — and a recurring theme that was evident at the recent Work Truck Show held in Indianapolis March 8-10.
It was almost like attending the Green Truck Summit (also held in conjunction with the Work Truck Show) in absentia.
So how does a truck body make a work truck green? Several ways — by saving weight (and thereby reducing fuel consumption), by reducing aerodynamic drag (along with fuel consumption), and by being made of recyclable materials. Many of the new truck bodies seen at this year's show shared one or more of those design parameters. For example:
Click here to view more Work Truck Show photos
Utilimaster extends its Reach. Utilimaster Corporation, Wakarusa IN, teamed up with Isuzu Commercial Truck of North America to unveil the Reach, a new walk-in van that the two companies say will improve fuel economy by 35%.
In a joint news conference, Utilimaster and Isuzu revealed details of the new vehicle.
This commercial van is offered with three lengths—10-ft, 12-ft, and 14-ft—and is scheduled for full production in the second half of this year. The three lengths offer 450, 530, 640 cubic feet of cargo capacity.
The Reach will be available with payload ratings of up to 4,800 pounds.
“It has the turning radius of a cargo van—but twice the capacity,” says John Marshall, Utilimaster’s senior vice-president of sales, marketing, and business development. “And it has the fuel economy of a hybrid.”
Contributing to the fuel economy is a lightweight composite body that has no metal in the body panels. They are made of a honeycomb core sandwiched between fiberglass sheets. The roof, floor, and door are also made of composite material, and the rear door frame is aluminum—all designed to reduce weight—up to 600 pounds.
The lighter weight and improved aerodynamics, along with Isuzu’s thrifty four-cylinder engine help the Reach squeeze 35% more miles from a gallon of diesel fuel when compared with traditional Class 3 – 5 commercial walk-in designs, according to testing conducted by an independent, certified party.
A spring-loaded door to the cargo area, operated at the push of a button, is designed to save time. For operations such as Federal Express, which may make 150 stops per day, the faster door can save the driver up to 90 minutes a day, Utilimaster says.
Finally, modular vocational packages are available either from the factory or as aftermarket applications.
Click here to view more Work Truck Show photos
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
