NFPA 70E Training
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 6 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
Responding to increased interest in the technology for cargo operations, EPRI plans to focus on airport locations in the near future.
The hybrid vehicle — which was converted by the US Hybrid Corporation — has an electric motor with a lithium 33-kilowatt battery. The tractor will be capable of pulling loads of up to 96,000 pounds.
The institute will be testing the vehicle at the port of Long Beach for three months, all the while gathering performance data including efficiency, emissions, cost, charging times and fuel reduction. The vehicle will be tested for one year, with testing rotating at additional ports.
According to the institute, the vehicle will not idle its engine when not in use, which will present significant emissions savings. The institute projects that the vehicle will use 3,000 fewer gallons of fuel in a year than a traditional diesel model.
Also, the institute expects that the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will produce 80 percent fewer nitrogen oxides and 50 percent less carbon dioxide.
According to the institute, the cost of retrofitting a diesel tractor is about $80,000. And, according to the instituteÂ’s fuel savings estimates, the projected return on investment is six years.
Hybrid technology has been available and gaining recognition in many industries. The institute has planned on projects specifically geared toward cargo operations at airports.
“Something that EPRI is going to be researching further is the cargo side,” says Andra Rogers, senior project manager of electric transportation at EPRI.
“We are also looking at other types of cargo equipment such as intermodal facilities which will relate to airports and ports,” she says.
Rogers says the institute has not yet done in-depth research regarding the use of hybrids specifically at airports, but says work may be done on the concept within the next six months.
EPRI has done work in the area of electrification of GSE at airports, working with such carriers as American Airlines. And its research into the electrification of additional types of GSE at airports is still ongoing. According to Rogers, as more issues have been resolved concerning electric equipment, it has opened up the possibility of expanding into nontraditional types of GSE.
“I think that a lot challenges have been overcome,” Rogers says. “A lot of the infrastructure issues have been overcome.
“I would say something that I’m interested in pursuing is electrifying more of the nontraditional electric equipment at airports, such as the APU,” she says. “That uses a tremendous amount of fuel and it’s not something that’s traditionally electrified.”
Other types of GSE that the institute is interested in pursuing in the future are pushback tractors and container loaders, Rogers says.
Related News
Hydro One shares jump 5.7 per cent after U.S. regulators reject $6.7B takeover
Canada's looming power problem is massive but not insurmountable: report
ACORE tells FERC that DOE Proposal to Subsidize Coal, Nuclear Power Plants is unsupported by Record
US power coalition demands action to deal with Coronavirus
Trump's Proposal on Ukraine's Nuclear Plants Sparks Controversy
Are Net-Zero Energy Buildings Really Coming Soon to Mass?
Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter
Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE
- Timely insights from industry experts
- Practical solutions T&D engineers
- Free access to every issue