Nov 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By David A Kolman

RouteMax has been designed for distributors of medium- and low-temperature, and deep frozen products, Ricci says. It provides “substantial operating cost savings” over traditional diesel powered refrigeration units because RouteMax is lighter and operates with electricity generated by the truck's engine — with minimal drag on fuel economy — and electric shore power during overnight plug-in.

In addition, maintenance costs are reduced as the RouteMax has very few moving parts for greater reliability, says Ricci, and is virtually maintenance free.

Fuel economy can be improved when the RouteMax is teamed with International DuraStar Hybrids. These vehicles use diesel hybrid electric technology that has the capability to provide fuel savings up to 40 percent compared to traditional diesel engines, says Josh Lepage, International's sales manager of product integration.

DuraStar Hybrids use an International MaxxForce DT diesel teamed with an Eaton hybrid electric system, which includes an electric motor/generator between the output of an automated clutch and the input of the transmission, and the system's Lithium Ion batteries.

The hybrid electric system maintains conventional drivetrain architecture with an Eaton Fuller UltraShift automated transmission, plus adds the ability to augment engine torque with electrical torque, Lepage says. “The system recovers energy normally lost during braking with regenerative braking and stores this energy in the batteries to assist the vehicle during the next initial vehicle launch from a complete stop. While braking, torque passing through the transmission turns the system's motor/generator drive unit into a generator to recharge the hybrid electric system's Lithium Ion batteries.”

When pulling away, DuraStar Hybrids use the hybrid electric system's motor/generator unit's electric torque to get the vehicle moving. Once up to speed, the diesel engine blends horsepower and torque to maintain desired road speed.

When electric torque is mixed together with engine torque, the stored energy is used to improve fuel economy and vehicle performance for any given speed, or used to operate the vehicle with an electric power requirement, says Lepage. The result is reduced engine and brake maintenance, fewer emissions, and quieter operations.