Oshkosh Unveils Hybrid Drive Refuse Vehicle

Oshkosh Truck Corp. of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, presented its ProPulse® hybrid drive technology in a refuse vehicle application at the 2006 Hybrid Truck Users Forum in San Diego, California. ProPulse helps the engine achieve the optimum operating point for energy demand, increased fuel economy, reduced emissions, and lower life cycle costs. "During extensive customer field tests, it has shown improved fuel efficiency of 20% to 50% over the typical refuse trucks," says Don Verhoff, Oshkosh's executive vice president, engineering technology. ProPulse was developed for the refuse vehicle as part of the Advanced Heavy Hybrid Propulsion System Project sponsored by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Key partners in this four-year development effort were Rockwell Automation, Ohio State University and John Miller Enterprises.