Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies (HEVT), from Chicago, Illinois, unveiled the latest application of its renowned technology at the Plug-in 2008 Conference and Exposition, which was held in San José, California. The company chose the best-selling pickup truck in North America:
Ford's F-Series . Using a scaled-down version of the proprietary drivetrain HEVT has designed for transit buses, the F-150 has been transformed into the industry's most fuel-efficient truck.
While a regular F-150 burns approximately 14.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, the HEVT system helps it achieve a remarkable 5.7 L/100 km! The most interesting aspect of the technology is that it can be applied to any pickup truck currently available on the market. Moreover, it does not necessarily have to be installed by the manufacturer. According to CalCars founder Felix Kramer, HEVT seems to have found the way to address the
fuel economy issue of large pickup trucks. The plan is to launch an entire fleet of Ford F-150 HEVTs in the near future. No word yet, however, on the possibility of mass production for regular customers or the availability of the system in Canada. For now, HEVT is continuing development and optimization, pushing conversion costs down and lowering lifetime cost of ownership for converted vehicles.
photo: HEVT