PORTLAND, Ore. — Freightliner-owned Alliance Parts has released a new auxiliary power unit (APU) to the industry, which the company says will help drivers reduce costs and comply with anti-idling regulations.

The 2007 Alliance Premium APU has been designed to comply with anti-idling rules which exist in 15 states and dozens of municipalities in the US. It delivers 12,000 BTUs of A/C, 10,000 BTUs of heating and 3,300 watts of 110 volt electricity, the company announced.

It runs off a one-cylinder engine, so it burns just one-tenth of a gallon of fuel per hour, the company said.

The free-standing design allows the Alliance Premium APU to operate independently of the factory OEM HVAC system, integrating with the truck through only a supply and return line to the fuel tank. Company officials said this reduces wear and tear of the truck engine. It also said there is no inverter required, so theres less drain on the trucks batteries.

“We have been working with our strategic supplier for six years on the design of this APU,” said Kevin Esser, director of parts and service marketing, Freightliner LLC. “Through customer feedback and extensive market research, we were able to identify what today’s drivers expect from an APU, and included numerous standard features that are available only as options on other APUs in the market.”

Standard features include: custom duct work with six directional louvers to ensure cold air is well-distributed; six 110-volt outlets to provide ample power; a 60-amp battery charger which keeps batteries charged while the APU is running; and a simple control panel mounted near the bunk.

The company also said it has reduced the noise created by the APU, thanks in part to a new air intake and filter design as well as a custom-engineered muffler and additional insulation.

“At the end of the day, when a driver has been on the road all day and wants to sleep, nothing is worse than being kept up by a noisy engine or APU. Our APU only generates 73-77 decibels, so drivers will be able to sleep in quiet and comfort,” said Esser.

The Alliance Premium APU can be fitted to any make of truck. Custom-engineered models are available for Freightliners Coronado, Columbia and Century Class vehicles. It weighs in at 418 lbs and includes a limited warranty of two years or 4,000 hours. For more information, visit a Freightliner dealer or visit: www.alliancebrandparts.com.