XL Hybrids, Inc. has installed its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in 15 passenger and cargo vans for Montgomery County, Md. The 15 upfit Ford Transit vans add to the 10 existing Ford Econoline hybrid vans already in use in the county’s fleet.

“We have had the XL Hybrids-equipped vans in our fleet for more than a year and have seen 25% MPG improvement over 200,000 road miles,” said William Griffiths, division chief of Montgomery County. “Based on solid ROI of the XL3 system, as we order new vans and trucks our plan is to upfit all possible vans and trucks with XL Hybrids’ technology.

The 25 hybrid electric vans are being used at various Montgomery County departments, including passenger service, law enforcement, and facilities maintenance.

The county vans are also equipped with XL Hybrids’ XL Link cloud-based fleet vehicle connectivity and analytics system, which measures MPG performance, fuel savings, and CO₂ reduction, according to XL Hybrids.

“Montgomery County has a comprehensive, forward-thinking sustainability program and we’re pleased that our technology is supporting the County’s green fleet goals,” said Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids’ co-founder and COO. “The vans are reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel usage, resulting in a quick return on investment. Since the XL3 system requires no special fueling infrastructure, no plugs, and no driver training, it works seamlessly in the background with zero impact on fleet operations or service.”

The XL3 hybrid system saves fuel through regenerative braking, a process by which the electric motor helps slow the vehicle when the driver brakes, charging the battery, according to the company. When the driver accelerates, the battery releases the energy to the electric motor, helping propel the vehicle.