Click on the image to enlarge

Reducing the environmental impact of garbage is anything but a new idea, but what often seems overlooked are the actual vehicles doing the dirty-work of picking up our trash. Volvo's trying to do something about that with hybrid garbage trucks that are currently undergoing testing in Sweden. If testing goes well, Volvo plans to begin producing the hybrid trucks in 2009.

Volvo's hybrid technology consists of a 320 horsepower diesel engine which shuts down at rest combined with an electric motor that powers the truck at speeds up to 12 miles per hour. Regenerative braking is used as a means to recapture energy to recharge the lithium ion batteries. Besides being much quieter in early morning trash pickup duties, the total gas savings and C0₂ emissions are expected to drop 20-30 percent.

Also of note is Volvo's research into DME for fuel in an attempt to lower emissions and reduce diesel soot. DME is produced by creating a syngas which is converted to a liquid fuel. This type of fuel is already in use as a propellant gas in aerosol spray cans. See both press releases after the break.

FCC, the company that manages the trash collection in Madrid, has announced the purchase of 14 trucks equipped with hybrid powertrains. These trucks, with a narrower track, will be used in the old parts of the city. FCC has partnered with Saft batteries in order to create the powertrain, in a contracted investment of 1.5 million euros.

The models have been well-received by neighbors because of the low noise levels of operation. The vehicles aren't only good for this but they also achieve an efficiency of 90 percent when combined with the diesel engine (the press release doesn't tell how this was calculated). The lifespan of the powertrain is calculated at 10 years.

Saft Batteries not only powers these specific trucks, but has created a joint-venture with Johnson Control, called JCS which is a supplier for a big (unspecified) car producer. They have built a battery manufacturing facility in Nersac (France) to supply the European market and another plant in China. Saft also supplies the batteries for the new generation of Spanish commuter trains (Civia).

• Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Exhibition in Leeds (UK)
• Here's the scoop on Ford and Southern California Edison's new plug-in hybrid partnership
• Chicago gets its first hybrid cab

[Source: Econoticias.com]