Appetite for ‘clean’ is driving vehicle technology: Daimler CEO

Long Beach, Calif. —  The president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) says the market for ultra-clean, energy-efficient trucks is driving technological advancements in the natural gas and hybrid fields.

“We see tremendous growth opportunities for our line-up of ultra-efficient products, and are extremely excited about the market potential here,” Martin Daum told delegates at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2011 in Long Beach, Calif., yesterday.

Daum said DTNA’s partnerships in new vehicle technology include the U.S. Department of Energy and its Clean Cities program; the Environmental Protection Agency; the California Energy Commission; and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Through these partnerships, he said, DTNA has achieved significant successes, such as the deployment of 400 Sterling and Freightliner natural gas tractors to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach; and, together with the Maryland Energy Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy, the nation’s largest collaborative hybrid deployment project in the nation, where DTNA spearheaded the deployment of 143 hybrid trucks to Aramark Uniform Services, Nestle Waters, Sysco Foods and UPS.

In January 2011, DTNA marked the success of its hybrid-electric product by celebrating the production of its 1,000th hybrid-electric commercial vehicle. The company, which has already delivered nearly 1,600 natural gas-powered Thomas Built Buses and FCCC buses and walk-in-vans, will also deliver its 1,000th natural gas vehicle since 2008 under the Sterling and Freightliner brands later this year.

ACT Expo is the largest clean transportation event in North America.