News

Lockheed Martin Control Systems Announces 21st Century Truck Initiative

April 25, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

Lockheed Martin Control Systems (Romulus, MI) has announced its 21st Century Truck Initiative, a partnership with Vice President Al Gore to develop technology that will dramatically reduce fuel use and emissions in trucks and buses.

Lockheed Martin Control Systems will apply its commercially proven hybrid technology to developing medium and heavy trucks and buses that offer improved performance and reduced maintenance costs in addition to lower emissions and fuel consumption.

The MTA New York City Transit has been operating a small test fleet of hybrid buses since 1998. The electrically powered vehicles use an on-board generator to propel the drive motor and recharge a series of batteries. Lockheed Martin Control Systems' HybriDrive propulsion system offers the reduced emissions and fuel economy of these vehicles due to the smaller engine and generator.

A few of the 21st Century Truck Initiative objectives include a Class 8 tractor, being developed in conjunction with Volvo Trucks North America and Radian Inc.; a 5-ton US Army tactical truck; and a Federal Transit Administration program for demonstration of the fuel cell buses in conjunction with Georgetown University.