Eaton launches medium-duty hybrid systems

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, announced that the company’s medium-duty hybrid power systems are now commercially available and will be ready for customer deliveries in 2008 on the chassis of several major North American commercial vehicle manufacturers. “Eaton formed this business unit almost seven years ago to provide a cleaner and more fuel-efficient future for the world’s commercial vehicle fleet,” said James E. Sweetnam, Eaton senior vice president and president — Truck Group. The company is planning to ramp-up production capacity over the next three years in order to meet customer demand and achieve economies of scale. Vehicle configurations include package delivery vans, medium-duty delivery trucks, beverage haulers, city buses and utility repair trucks, each of which has generated significant fuel economy gains and emission reductions. (August 9, 2007)