Gas Saver Or Tailpipe Dream?

Hydraulic hybrids have been ignored because they present big engineering challenges, noise being one. Even so, Eaton and the Environmental Protection Agency teamed up with United Parcel Service to put hydraulic delivery trucks on the road. In tests, the prototypes get upwards of 50% better fuel economy. Kasmer himself has failed to connect with a big carmaker so far, but his hybrid approach, known as a hydristor, has attracted interest from Bobcat Co., a construction equipment maker. “The technology will start with large commercial vehicles,” says Sohan Uppal, vice-president for research for Eaton’s fluid systems group.

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