A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system for utility trouble trucks and vans is being developed in a $1.6 million joint effort in California. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Ford, Eaton Corporation, and the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) are joining forces to develop the PHEV "boom trucks," with AQMD ponying up $300,000 from its Clean Fuels Fund.
Four prototype PHEV trucks based on a Ford F-550 chassis will be tested this year by the three utilities taking part: Southern California Edison, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Pacific Gas & Electric. SCE will test diesel PHEVs, LADWP will test gasoline PHEVs, and PG&E will test both. The goal: a design that Ford MVE engineers can sign off on as a ship-through product, and migration of the resulting powertrain to commercial vehicles.
In a second phase, the project will expand to 50 trucks and E-450-based vans for use in public and utility fleets.
The F-550 PHEV runs either a 6.8L V10 gasoline engine or 6.0L V8 diesel engine in a parallel, pre-transmission hybrid architecture. Design goals for the vehicle include:
Reduced fuel consumption, emissions, and operating costs
Use of grid electricity for part of the vehicle's daily duty cycle
Regenerative braking with four-wheel drive capability
30 kW of standby AC generation capacity, with 5kW of export power and standby operation time of at least six hours to run the bucket, power tools, lights, and accessories without running the engine
Advanced battery packaging, charging, and cooling systems with a five-year lifespan
[Source: AQMD, EPRI via Green Car Congress]
