LOWELL: THE TRUCKING COMPANIES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN BALTIMORE ARE NOT ONLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SAVE MONEY, BUT ALSO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. THE ANSWER MAY BE RIGHT HERE IN HYBRID ELECTRIC 18 WHEELERS. WITH A FLEET OF ABOUT 200 TRACTOR-TRAILERS BALTIMORE’S MTS A FAMILY TRUCKING AND TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS COMPANY, FELT IT WAS TIME TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY COULD DO TO LESSEN THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. >> WE OPERATE IN A CARBON RICH AND VARMINT. TRUCKING HAS DEPENDED ON IT BUT WE FEEL IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY GOING FORWARD. LOWELL: JOE IS HEAD OF SALES FOR MTS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, HE FOUND A COMPANY THAT IS BRINGING HYBRID AND ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY TO COMMERCIAL FLEETS. >> AS YOU ARE DRIVING DOWNHILL, THAT AXEL IS SPINNING. LOWELL: HE WAS INTERESTED IN AN ALL ELECTRIC BIG RIG AND HE OPTED FOR THIS HYBRID MODEL AS HIS COMPANY’S ROUTES WERE TOO LONG AND LOADS WERE TOO HEAVY. HYLIION CAN OUTFIT ANY TRUCK FOR HYBRID. THE REAR AXLE GENERATES ELECTRICITY AS YOU ARE GOING DOWNHILL, STORED IN THIS BATTERY. THE POWER CAN THEN BE USED TO ASSIST GOING UPHILL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BECOMES A POWER STATION FOR DRIVERS THAT SLEEP IN THEIR CABS OVERNIGHT. SAVING A TON OF FUEL AND CUTTING DOWN ON EXHAUST. >> SO INSTEAD OF IDLING YOUR MOTOR AND EMITTING GREENHOUSE GASES FOR EIGHT TO 10 HOURS WHILE YOU ARE SLEEPING, WE CAN USE THE POWER THAT WE GENERATED THROUGH THE TRIP TO POWER THE TRUCK. >> IT’S A BIG BENEFIT FOR ALL. LOWELL: HOW DOES IT DRIVE? NICK SABIN AREA MANAGER TOLD US THAT IT HANDLES LIKE A REGULAR RIG. >> IT IS PRETTY SEAMLESS. THE POWER IS GREAT. YOU DO NOT FEEL ANY LAG. LOWELL: BEING MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT CAN BE GOOD FOR BUSINESS. MARINO SAYS THANKS TO THE TECHNOLOGY AND THIS DIGITAL LOG THAT IS KEPT INSIDE THE CAB, MTS IS ABLE TO HELP CUSTOMERS CUT THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINTS AS WELL. >> OUR CUSTOMERS ALL HAVE ESG INITIATIVES WHERE THEY NEED TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINTS. WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGH THE PRODUCT HERE IS WE CAN GIVE THEM WEEKLY REPORTS THAT SHOW HOW MANY GREENHOUSE GASES WE HAVE REDUCED. LOWELL: THEY ARE HELPING TO SET THE STANDARD HERE? >> WE ARE TRYING TO. LOWELL: FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS HYBRID ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY WE’VE GOT LINKS IN OUR WEBSITE, WBALTV.COM AND OUR MOBILE A
Trucking company seeks to help set standard with hybrid big rigs
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Updated: 5:03 PM MST Nov 17, 2022
The trucking industry is looking to cut its large carbon footprint in the form of EV and hybrid big rigs. There are now almost 3 million tractor-trailers on the road using more than 36 billion gallons of diesel fuel each year, according to trucking industry experts.With diesel fuel prices rising once again, trucking companies around the country and in Baltimore are not only looking for ways to save money, but also save the environment -- and the answer may be in hybrid electric 18-wheelers.With a fleet of about 200 tractor-trailers, Baltimore's Marino Transportation Services, a family-owned trucking and transportation logistics company, felt it was time to look at what it could do to lessen the impact on the environment."We operate in a very carbon-rich environment. Trucking is historically dependent on carbon, but we at MTS feel it doesn't have to be that way going forward," said Joe Marino, sales manager at MTS.After some research, Marino found Hyliion, a company that is bringing hybrid and electric technology to commercial fleets. While Marino was interested in an all-electric big rig, he opted for a hybrid model as his company's routes are too long and loads were too heavy.Hyliion can outfit just about any long-haul truck for hybrid. The technology works with the rear axle generating electricity as the vehicle goes downhill. The electricity is stored in a battery, for which the power can then be used to assist going uphill, and most importantly, it becomes a power station for drivers that sleep in their cabs overnight, saving fuel and cutting down on exhaust."So, instead of idling your motor and emitting all those greenhouse gases for those eight to 10 hours that you're sleeping, we can now use the power that we generated through the trip that day, the power of the truck," Marino said.So, how does it drive? Nick Saban, area manager and driver for MTS, told sister station WBAL it handles like a regular rig."It's pretty seamless. The power is great. You don't feel any lag," Saban said.Being more conscious about the environment can also be good for business. Marino said they're trying to set the standard. Marino said thanks to Hyliion's technology, and a digital log kept inside the cab, MTS is able to help its customers cut their carbon footprints as well."Our customers all have (environmental, social and governance) initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints, and what we can do is with the alien product, we can give them weekly reports that show how many greenhouse gases we have reduced," Marino said.
BALTIMORE — The trucking industry is looking to cut its large carbon footprint in the form of EV and hybrid big rigs.
There are now almost 3 million tractor-trailers on the road using more than 36 billion gallons of diesel fuel each year, according to trucking industry experts.
With diesel fuel prices rising once again, trucking companies around the country and in Baltimore are not only looking for ways to save money, but also save the environment -- and the answer may be in hybrid electric 18-wheelers.
With a fleet of about 200 tractor-trailers, Baltimore's Marino Transportation Services, a family-owned trucking and transportation logistics company, felt it was time to look at what it could do to lessen the impact on the environment.
"We operate in a very carbon-rich environment. Trucking is historically dependent on carbon, but we at MTS feel it doesn't have to be that way going forward," said Joe Marino, sales manager at MTS.
After some research, Marino found Hyliion, a company that is bringing hybrid and electric technology to commercial fleets. While Marino was interested in an all-electric big rig, he opted for a hybrid model as his company's routes are too long and loads were too heavy.
Hyliion can outfit just about any long-haul truck for hybrid. The technology works with the rear axle generating electricity as the vehicle goes downhill. The electricity is stored in a battery, for which the power can then be used to assist going uphill, and most importantly, it becomes a power station for drivers that sleep in their cabs overnight, saving fuel and cutting down on exhaust.
"So, instead of idling your motor and emitting all those greenhouse gases for those eight to 10 hours that you're sleeping, we can now use the power that we generated through the trip that day, the power of the truck," Marino said.
So, how does it drive? Nick Saban, area manager and driver for MTS, told sister station WBAL it handles like a regular rig.
"It's pretty seamless. The power is great. You don't feel any lag," Saban said.
Being more conscious about the environment can also be good for business. Marino said they're trying to set the standard. Marino said thanks to Hyliion's technology, and a digital log kept inside the cab, MTS is able to help its customers cut their carbon footprints as well.
"Our customers all have (environmental, social and governance) initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints, and what we can do is with the alien product, we can give them weekly reports that show how many greenhouse gases we have reduced," Marino said.
