Regenerative braking system to be fitted in rigid to trial hybrid advantages
After trailer trials, French technology company Adgero is set to fit its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) technology to a rigid truck for the first time, with the aim of transforming the truck into a hybrid vehicle.
With tests to take place over the coming weeks, Adgero has teamed up with alternative fuel technology supplier Alternatech and Fraikin, one of the largest commercial vehicle fleet services companies in the UK, who will supply the Iveco Euro VI test vehicle.
To travel routes across the UK, including Greater London, the test vehicle will be placed in the hands of an international logistics company to see how it performs compared to the company’s fleet.
The technology works when the truck begins braking. As kinetic energy is produced, it is, rather than lost as heat, stored in a bank of ultracapacitors to be used as fuel.
Adgero says the regenerative braking system also “significantly reduces brake wear and associated maintenance costs.”
Scheduled to present at next week’s ComVec engineering conference about its new technology, Adgero president Mack Murray says the UK tests will be part of an emissions solution.
“We are proud to partner with Fraikin and Alternatech to offer the first rigid lorry application of our technology to a market leader in logistics,” he says.
“Our solution will help demonstrate the efficiencies that companies can realise through reduced fuel consumption and greater power.
“Vehicle emissions are a major concern for London and Adgero is proud to be working on part of the solution.
“We look forward to exploring the future of our application on other routes and vehicles in the weeks and months to come.”
Adgero has previously demonstrated its world-first operational energy-saving, hybrid electric system on an Eddie Stobart trailer seeing fuel consumption and carbon emissions reductions by up to 25 per cent.
The company predicts the hybrid truck will see numbers between 15 and 30 per cent.