Terex Utilities introduced its HRX-55 Overcenter Material Handling Aerial Device – outfitted for the first time on a Peterbilt hybrid-electric, medium duty truck – at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) national meeting in San Diego, CA, November 14-16, 2006.

“The benefit to our customers in terms of noise reduction and fuel economy is significant,” says Lee Jacobson, Terex Utilities Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

He explains that the HRX-55 on a medium-duty truck base is widely used in municipal and utility applications. The demand for quieter equipment and improved fuel economy has largely driven the development of hybrid vehicles in such applications.

“With Peterbilt’s Class 7 hybrid Model 335, the PTO can operate for approximately 25 minutes before requiring battery recharging,” Jacobson says. “At that time, the diesel engine will automatically start to recharge the batteries – typically for about three minutes. This means that the diesel engine may run less than one hour during eight hours of operation of the unit, a major advantage for use in highly populated areas.”

He adds, “Terex Utilities has been a great supporter of the HTUF and its objective of commercialization of heavy-duty hybrid technologies. We’re pleased that our ongoing work with Peterbilt and other manufacturers has led to the development of the HRX-55 hybrid Aerial Device and we’re encouraged to continue development of further hybrid equipment models.”

The Terex Utilities HRX-55 Aerial Device and Peterbilt hybrid Model 335 medium-duty truck that was on display at the HTUF meeting in November will be in limited production in 2007. The equipment has been jointly developed by Terex Utilities and Peterbilt with a fully integrated chassis and body combination, specifically designed to allow for installation of the hybrid components on the chassis during manufacturing.
www.terex.com.