Wal-Mart Receives Prototype Hybrid from ArvinMeritor

ArvinMeritor Inc. said Tuesday that it has presented Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a prototype heavy-duty truck equipped with the first Meritor diesel-electric drivetrain.

Wal-Mart Transportation operates about 7,200 heavy-duty trucks in North America and has committed to doubling its fleet efficiency by 2015, and plans to test and evaluate the vehicle in regular line-haul service at one of its distribution centers throughout this year, ArvinMeritor said.

“While most hybrid systems today are best suited for start-stop applications, our hybrid drivetrain is specifically designed for line-haul, over-the-road trucks, the largest segment of the commercial vehicle population,” said Carsten Reinhardt, president of ArvinMeritor’s commercial vehicle systems unit.

The hybrid drivetrain combines both mechanical and electrical propulsion systems. Under 48 miles-per-hour, vehicle propulsion is delivered entirely through an electric motor with power from lithium ion batteries, which are recharged through regenerative braking and/or an engine-driven generator.

Wal-Mart is ranked No. 3 on the Transport Topics Private 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian private carriers.