Improving Fuel Efficiency in Transportation
- Eaton has emerged as the industry leader in hybrid power system technologies for commercial vehicles. These systems increase fuel efficiency up to 60 percent and significantly reduce emissions. In the U.S., we're developing hybrid trucks for Coca-Cola®, FedEx®, Pepsi Bottling®, UPS®, Wal-Mart® and others. Eaton is the only hybrid system supplier in the world that is developing both hybrid electric and hybrid hydraulic systems.
- Eaton employs a parallel-type diesel-electric hybrid architecture with Eaton’s Fuller® UltraShift® automated transmission. It incorporates an electric motor/generator between the output of an automated clutch and input of the transmission. The system recovers energy normally lost during braking and stores the energy in batteries. When electric torque is blended with engine torque, the stored energy is used to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance for a given speed or used to operate the vehicle with electric power only. The system can also be designed to provide energy for use during engine-off worksite operations, further reducing noise, emissions and fuel costs.
- The world’s largest and most advanced commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, uses Eaton’s higher pressure hydraulic and fluid conveyance systems. Eaton developed and designed these systems to help reduce the platforms’ overall weight by one metric ton and, along with the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 and the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney GP7200 engines, are helping the A380 fly more efficiently and reduce overall CO2 emissions.
- Eaton has partnered with Volkswagen to produce the only production-ready combination supercharger and turbocharger system for passenger cars. The system improves fuel efficiency by 20 percent while increasing power by 15 percent. Superchargers can help automakers meet fuel economy and emissions requirements in gasoline engines.