Idle Free has introduced a new idle elimination product that allows truck owners to provide power and meet all engine off requirements while keeping the engine and driver warm. The product was showcased at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting in Nashville.
Powered through a connection to a truck battery, Idle Free says its new system provides up to eight hours of interior cab heat and engine heat, can operate interior and exterior vehicle lighting and communication tools, adds no additional weight to the vehicle and can be installed in three hours.
Robert Hopton, CEO at Idle Free, says the product is designed to allow all fleets, especially work truck fleets, a simple solution to keeping a driver warm during the winter months.
“The perfect example this winter is a municipal fleet,” Hopton says. “They send their snowplows out to locations to be ready to push snow for a snow storm.
“While they are waiting [on the side of the road] to get started, they can use this system to stay warm and in communication with their department.”
The system uses a 17,000 BTU coolant heater and operates using a single toggle switch installed on a vehicle’s dashboard.
Idle Free also showcased its three-piece electrical APU system at the TMC show.
Hopton says the company’s electrical APU unit can provide 10 continuous hours of air conditioning and more than 40 hours of heat. The system also can be powered through Shore Power, he says.
The system can save up to 3,000 gallons of fuel per year, the company says.
EPA SmartWay verified and CARB compliant, the system can be installed in a few hours, and requires only a small 2 in. hole cut into a cab to allow wiring and cables to hook together the complete system.
