TORONTO — Hybrid powertrain maker Azure Dynamics of Toronto has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kidron division of VT Specialized Vehicles Corp. for the branding, marketing and sale of Azure’s Under-the-Hood system throughout the North American refrigerated truck body market.

The UHT system was developed for the DRS Sustainment program, for which Azure has now received $19 million in orders. Under the proposed terms of the MOU, Azure will provide Kidron the UHT system for commercial truck markets and Kidron will integrate the systems into its trucks and truck bodies for refrigeration units. Kidron will market this product through Kidron’s sales team and distributors across North America, the company stated in a press release.

Azure’s UTH system delivers significant improvements in fuel utilization and emission levels. Its hybrid technology stores energy in Kidron’s cold plate refrigeration system when the engine is running.

When the engine is off, the stored energy is used to maintain refrigeration temperatures. The UTH is also a natural anti-idle system. Stationary engine run-time can be improved by approximately 95 percent compared to conventional systems.

VT Specialized Vehicles Corporation (VT SVC) is a leading manufacturer in North America for specialized truck bodies and trailers that services the multi-stop food and beverage service distributors and municipal emergency rescue departments.

Its two divisions, Hackney and Kidron, specialize in beverage truck bodies and trailers, emergency rescue bodies and trailers, special application truck bodies and multi-temperature refrigerated truck bodies and trailers.

Azure is a renowned developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains for commercial and military vehicles. It has assisted in the development of Purolator Courier’s fleet of curb-side hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in Canada. The HEVs, which were rolled out last year, were first significant hybrid electric fleet launch in Canada.