COMMENT: Truck and bus hybrids – where it’s not cool to be cool

Hybrid power and engine stop-start technology, both bringing the twin benefits of cutting emissions and fuel usage, are each becoming recognised as a genuine asset to commercial vehicle operation. Their adoption in trucks and buses is nevertheless unlikely ever to become as extensive as for passenger cars. Initial on-cost makes a diesel-electric powertrain hard to justify in long-haul vehicle operation, where energy recovery in over-run or braking mode is not sufficiently frequent to achieve a realistic pay-back. Additional tare weight eating into payload capacity is a further deterrent.