SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Navistar has expanded its line of diesel electric hybrid trucks with the launch of the International DuraStar Hybrid tractor.

The new truck, which targets general freight haulers and food/beverage distributors, was unveiled at the recent Hybrid Truck Users Forum in South Bend, Ind.

The company says the new diesel electric hybrid Class 7 tractor has the ability to provide dramatic fuel savings from 20-25% on standard in-city pickup and delivery applications.

“Hybrid trucks are the next step in providing expanded fuel efficiency options for customers as they face the new realities of high diesel costs and tough economic conditions,” said Steve Guillaume, general manager of the medium truck group for Navistar. “Saving 20-25% in fuel costs is nearly the equivalent of paying about $2.91 for diesel at the pump versus the national average of $3.88 per gallon.”

In addition to reducing the amount of fuel used, the International DuraStar Hybrid is also designed to reduce the amount of emissions released into the air. Overall, the DuraStar Hybrid emits up to 33% less hydrocarbon emissions and 35% less nitrogen oxide emissions versus standard diesel trucks, according to company officials.

International DuraStar Hybrid trucks employ a parallel-type, diesel-electric hybrid architecture that is supplied by Eaton Corporation. It incorporates an electric motor/generator between the output of an automated clutch and input of the automated manual transmission. The hybrid-electric system recovers energy during braking, and can add power back into the driveline during start and acceleration.
This capability makes the truck more efficient in standard driving, particularly in city and stop-and-go driving.

Navistar, which announced in November that it was the first company to enter line production of hybrid commercial trucks, currently has more than 300 International hybrid trucks and IC Bus hybrid school buses in operation around North America delivering improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.