Coca-Cola Hybrid Electric Delivery Truck Evaluation

Coca-Cola hybrid electric delivery truck at NREL's Renewable Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory.
Photo by Patrick Curran, NREL

In 2012, NREL completed its 13-month technology evaluation of hybrid electric delivery trucks operated by Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR) in the Miami, Florida, area.

NREL collected and analyzed fuel economy, maintenance, and other on-road performance data on five heavy-duty hybrid electric trucks and five conventional diesel trucks. The vehicles also went through dynamometer evaluation at NREL's Renewable Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory to determine the fuel economy and emissions impact of hybridization.

During the on-road portion of the study, the hybrid vehicles demonstrated 13.7% higher fuel economy than their conventional counterparts, resulting in a 12% reduction in fuel costs for the hybrids. During dynamometer evaluation, the hybrids demonstrated up to a 30% improvement in fuel economy, depending on drive cycle, and up to a 32.1% improvement in ton-mi/gal.

The analysis also identified key route indicators such as idle time, kinetic intensity, and average speed that can help CCR optimize the use of its hybrid vehicles on routes where they offer the greatest fuel economy benefits.

Publications

The following documents provide detailed information about the study.