SAN DIEGO, CA – Oshkosh Truck Corp. presented its proprietary ProPulse hybrid drive technology in a refuse vehicle application at the 2006 Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) during the 6th National HTUF meeting held in San Diego, Calif., Nov. 14-16, 2006. According to a company release, the ProPulse hybrid drive system helps the engine to operate at the optimum operating point for required energy demand, providing increased fuel economy, reduced emissions, lower lifecycle costs, and lower interior and exterior noise profiles.

Don Verhoff, Oshkosh’s executive vice president, engineering technology, said, “Our ProPulse hybrid drive system could significantly reduce fuel costs. During extensive customer field tests, it has shown improved fuel efficiency of 20 to 50 percent over the typical refuse trucks.”

The ProPulse hybrid electric drive technology was developed for the refuse vehicle application 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, The Ohio State University, and John Miller Enterprises. In addition, Oshkosh Truck collaborated with Waste Management Inc. as part of this project.