Colorado continues hybridizing

Looks like another Colorado city is trying out hybrid versions of city vehicles; first it was Aspen’s police force, now it’s Denver’s sanitation department trying out a hybrid garbage truck.

“Instead of a hybrid electric vehicle, it’s a hybrid hydraulic,” Nancy Kuhn with Denver Public Works said, explaining the differences between this truck and a consumer hybrid car. “It utilizes hydraulics as a second fuel source, so you’re using bio-diesel and hydraulics to launch the vehicle and slow the vehicle down.” Specifically, the truck’s inner workings transfer hydraulic fluid between two tanks, instead of burning fuel and brake fluid in separate processes. The city predicts savings of $2000 a year, per truck, in fuel costs with these models.

New York City and Chicago are apparently in line for these trucks, and we could see them all over the place if they catch on. Frankly, it’s impressive that trucks that big could be fitted with hybrid technology, so hats off to Colorado for their continued hybridization. Especially since they’re putting a lot on the line with high-need, high-power vehicles like these trucks and cop cars. Maybe next they’ll move onto the really important stuff.