“Wheels-on-the-Ground,” Heavy-Duty Hybrids on the Road
Staff Writer
2011-01-25
.dmvblogspot.bloggieblog.com .
Today, at the Nestle Waters North America Deer Park Facility in Halethorpe, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz joined state and federal officials to celebrate “Wheels-on-the-Ground,” the start of the deployment of 143 heavy-duty hybrid electric and hydraulic trucks under the Maryland Hybrid Transportation Initiative (MHTI), public-private partnership led by the U. S. Department of Energy, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) and Daimler Trucks North America. The MHTI is the largest collaborative heavy-duty hybrid truck project in the United States. Five partner fleets in Maryland - ARAMARK Uniform Services, Nestle Waters North America, Sysco Corporation, United Parcel Service (UPS) and Efficiency Enterprises - were selected to participate in the initiative based on their record of implementing large-scale truck deployments and their commitment to advanced clean vehicle technology development. The project received $5.9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U. S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program to help offset the cost to purchase the vehicles.