Electric APU, trailer skirt and new tires join SmartWay ranks

WASHINGTON — Two completely different items, but both with the goal of helping truckers reduce fuel consumption, recently got the nod as SmartWay Verified Technologies.

A new, electric auxiliary idle reduction and temperature management system from Thermo King was one of the items recently added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay list, and a new aerodynamic-enhancing trailer skirt from Silver Eagle Manufacturing was the other.

Thermo King’s new TriPace is the first electric APU from Thermo King, which the company says provides a clean, sustainable choice for those customers looking for APU options.

The system is designed to maintain comfortable temperature conditions in the truck cab without running an engine. It is a battery-powered solution that uses sophisticated power management technology to optimize energy used.

Silver Eagle’s new Aero Saber skirt gains is said to improve fuel efficiency by 5.7 percent. As well, the Aero Saber is also constructed of 90 percent recycled aluminum and rubber, and the entire system is 100 percent recyclable at the end of its usable life.

Meanwhile, Continental Tire has announced that two more of its truck tires have been verified by the EPA for SmartWay as low rolling resistance.

The tires that were recently verified include Continental’s HSL2 Eco Plus (Heavy Steer Long-Haul) and HDL2 Eco Plus (Heavy Drive Long-Haul) truck tire sizes in the 295/60R22.5 size. These truck tires are three inches shorter than the 275/80R22.5 sizes, but each has 1,215 pounds of additional carrying capacity in a single fitment for load range G.