Eaton Corporation has announced a number of enhancements that it says will increase the fuel economy, performance and payback of its hybrid power system for commercial vehicles.
Included in the improvements is high-capacity battery, a new single-phase 115-volt AC Auxiliary Power Generator (APG), a higher capacity clutch to expand applications up to 860 lb.-ft. of torque and a new remanufactured battery for aftermarket purchase.
“Not only will fleets realize greater fuel efficiency and reduced C02 emissions, but drivers will notice faster acceleration with the updated hybrid propulsion system,” says Kevin Beaty, product strategy and manufacturing operations and strategic sourcing manager, hybrid power systems for Eaton. “The new battery is designed to allow for simplified servicing of internal components.”
According to Eaton, the lithium-ion battery features the latest battery cell architecture. The new design increases the fuel savings of Eaton’s hybrid power system an additional 5 to 10 percent while also improving vehicle performance, the company says. In addition, the battery is said to more than double the engine-off capability of the system for job-site operations while extending battery life.
Eaton also is introducing a new single-phase 5-kilowatt APG this fall. Eaton says the APG option converts high-voltage DC current from the battery to 115-volt AC current that can be used by any number of tools on the job site. The APG unit is more compact and 25 lbs. lighter than Eaton’s previous offering, which is said to increase flexibility of installation.
“The new APG unit offers a soft-start function that can handle high inrush loads that require an immediate boost of power,” says Gerard DeVito, engineering director – Eaton hybrid power systems. “The APG is also a fully isolated system from the high-voltage battery, which eliminates the need for a separate isolating transformer to further reduce cost and weight.”
In addition to the new battery and APG, Eaton is now offering higher capacity clutches that can handle engines up to 860 lb.-ft. of torque and 300 hp. This increased torque capacity is said to result in greater vehicle performance for heavier applications, including select tandem axle configurations.
Lastly, Eaton will begin offering a remanufactured battery in July that it says will provide fleets with an aftermarket battery option at an affordable cost.
“Fleets can now extend the life of their hybrid power system for a fraction of the cost of new service units,” says Beaty. “Our goal is to provide the greatest possible value to hybrid customers who want more sustainable fleets at the best possible cost.”
