Deal driven by garbage

Australia’s

and US-based automotive supplier

recently signed an agreement to commercialise the Permo-Drive hybrid hydraulic Regenerative Drive System (RDS) for garbage trucks on a global scale.

The garbage truck licence follows Permo-Drive and Dana’s agreement in 2003 to collaborate in the customisation of the RDS system for the US Army’s FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) fleet. Tests are underway at the US Army’s test track at Aberdeen Test Center, Maryland.

Permo-Drive’s RDS is a patented hybrid hydraulic regenerative energy and braking system that harnesses and stores normally wasted braking energy and re-uses it as a secondary source of power. The system is said to reduce the CO2 emissions from the energy that it replaces and produces savings in fuel consumption and brake wear maintenance to fleet owners.

It is designed specifically for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles operating with stop-start drive cycles, such as vehicles used in refuse collection, commercial delivery, mining, construction and other specialty applications.

CEO of Permo-Drive Technologies, Mr. Willem de Vylder said that given the global reach of Dana, higher costs for fuel and emerging regulations and taxes to reduce exhaust emissions, the scope of the partnership with Dana “offers a significant opportunity to commercialise the technology on a global scale” and contribute to improving the environment.

Tests have shown fuel cost savings can be as high as 37%, depending on a truck’s drive cycle, said Mr. de Vylder.

“Truck drivers are not required to drive any differently, fuel companies don’t need to change their products, the vehicles will look the same and the technology will go a long way to assist fleet owners to comply with emerging new regulatory environmental standards,” he concluded.