Friday, Oct. 21, 2005 -- Dana Technical Resource Park:
Nation's Largest Effort to Bring Hybrid Technology to Large Trucks
Showcases Latest Commercial, Military Hybrid Vehicles; $3 per Gallon
Fuel Prices Provide Push for Fuel Efficient Hybrids
--Weststart-CALSTART:
WHAT: The nation's major program to bring fuel-saving and cleaner
hybrid technology to North American truck operators meets in
Michigan, hosted by Dana Corporation and the U.S. Army
National Automotive Center (NAC). The national meeting of
the Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) in Ottawa Lake,
Michigan, near Toledo, Ohio, features the largest gathering
of large truck hybrids in the world.
WHY: With fuel prices pushing higher than $3/gallon, hybrid
technology offers enormous potential to significantly
improve commercial truck fuel economy and reduce emissions.
Currently, hybrid technology is mostly known in passenger
cars. Now, funding and purchasing incentives such as those
provided by the HTUF program can help speed early adoption
of hybrid technologies, and will accelerate significant
hybrid penetration in the near future.
WHO: The HTUF program is operated by the WestStart advanced
transportation technology consortium with the U.S. Army
National Automotive Center (NAC). The HTUF national meeting
is hosted in 2005 by Dana Corporation, a major auto and
truck industry supplier.
Experts on hybrid trucks available to press include:
-- Paul Skalny, deputy director, U.S. Army NAC
-- Edward Grief, vice president, Intelligent Drive Systems
Group, Dana Corporation
-- Wim de Vylder, CEO, PermoDrive
-- Bill Van Amburg, senior vice president, WestStart
-- Many more experts available -- from top truck makers,
suppliers and major fleets
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 21, 2005
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern Time
WHERE: Dana Technical Resource Park - Test Track
8000 Yankee Road, Ottawa Lake, Michigan
(maps and directions available)
News organizations please call Melanie Savage with interest,
626-744-5683. On site contact and coordinator: Jamie Bibb,
419-887-3073.
VISUALS: Test driven a Prius? You've never truly seen a hybrid until
you've seen the latest heavy-duty (truck and bus sized)
hybrid vehicles in both military and commercial designs.
These large hybrids can mean significant fuel savings, and
are available to ride and drive on a high speed test track.
Vehicles include: Newest hybrid hydraulic military tactical
vehicle (could save significant fuel and provide greater
performance in military use); hybrid electric parcel
delivery and cargo trucks; hybrid hydraulic and hybrid
electric shuttle buses; hybrid electric utility "trouble"
trucks; military support vehicles; and many more.