Hawaii Electric Light Company Debuts First Kenworth Hybrid Truck in State
Kenworth T370 Utility Hybrid Offers Fuel Savings, Reduced Emissions
Download a PDF of this release.
HILO, Hawaii, June 18, 2009 – While Hawaii is known as a destination for relaxation, a new arrival to the Islands came off a container ship ready for work. The first Kenworth medium duty diesel-electric hybrid truck to go into service in Hawaii was delivered recently to the Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (HELCO).
Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) has put a new Kenworth T370 hybrid utility truck into service. The truck is the first Kenworth hybrid in Hawaii.
“We’re ready to save fuel with our new Kenworth T370 hybrid utility truck, which is a part of our dedication to provide clean energy to the residents of Hawaii,” said Kelvin Kohatsu, fleet administrator for the Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. “The State of Hawaii gets about 9 percent of its power from renewable energy sources compared to the mainland average of only 2 percent. On the Big Island of Hawaii, about 32 percent of the energy on the grid comes from renewable energy sources. We’re committed to using green technology that will help preserve what we have here on the Islands.”
HELCO began purchasing Kenworth trucks several years ago. The company’s fleet includes 65 Class 7 and 8 trucks, including a number of Kenworth medium duty trucks and Kenworth T800 bucket and crane trucks. “Their performance sold us on the quality, durability and reliability of Kenworth and set the stage for us to buy a hybrid. When the cost of fuel began to spike, we were ready with an order. From a fuel savings alone, we expect to save upwards of 50 percent with the Kenworth hybrid,” said Kohatsu.
From left are Kelvin Kohatsu, fleet administrator for Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO); and Harry Mamizuka, NorCal Kenworth dealer principal, with HELCO’s new Kenworth T370 hybrid utility truck.
The new Kenworth T370 hybrid was purchased through NorCal Kenworth – Bay Area in California with body work performed by Altec Industries. The hybrid is equipped as a bucket truck with the power takeoff (PTO) powered by the hybrid’s battery pack. “We expect to run the truck up to 30,000 miles a year and we’ll have a lot of stop-and-go city driving. Since we won’t have to run the engine to power the boom, we’ll really save on our fuel bill. A hybrid really works well in the utility industry,” said Kohatsu.
From left are Kelvin Kohatsu, fleet administrator for Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO), Randy Ecker, Altec Industries area sales manager (West Coast); Jim Reisch, Altec Industries Hawaii account manager; Harry Mamizuka, NorCal Kenworth dealer principal; and Tha Kribbs, Altec Industries mobile service technician.
The Kenworth T370 hybrid is powered by a 300-hp PACCAR PX-6 engine, and features an integral transmission-mounted motor/generator, a frame-mounted 340-volt battery pack and a dedicated power management system. Electricity generated through regenerative braking is stored and used for acceleration, assisting the diesel engine. The hybrid system is monitored through a dash display. As the power requirements for different driving conditions change, the screen constantly updates the driver on system status.
HELCO featured the Kenworth hybrid at a recent open house for businesses and municipalities interested in learning about the technology. “We’re hoping others in Hawaii will adopt this technology. Since HELCO is the first in Hawaii to use a Kenworth hybrid, we felt we could help educate others. Our peers have started to understand what a hybrid could do to save fuel and be good to our environment.”
According to Kohatsu, he expects many more hybrids for HELCO in the years to come. “We feel that the hybrids are exciting and proven technology. As we grow and replace vehicles, we’ll look at adding hybrids in applications where they make sense. The hybrid is just one more piece of our arsenal to be green,” Kohatsu said.
Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth is an industry leader in providing fuel-saving technology solutions that help increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The company’s dedication to the green fleet includes aerodynamic trucks, medium duty diesel-electric hybrids, liquefied natural gas trucks, and the Kenworth Clean Power® no-idle system. This year, Kenworth became the first truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products. In addition, Kenworth is the recipient of the 2008 J.D. Power and Associates awards for Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Over the Road and Vocational Segment Class 8 trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.
