Higher fuel efficiency. Lower emissions. Reduced operating costs. Better acceleration performance. These are just some of the advantages of the hydraulic hybrid drivetrain. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing this innovative technology to provide cost-effective, ultra-clean and ultra-efficient improvements for vehicles. With a hydraulic hybrid system, nearly all of the energy typically lost during vehicle braking is captured and used to propel the vehicle the next time it needs to accelerate. EPA’s goals for this technology are to: • Achieve higher fuel economy •Reduce vehicle emissions •Save consumers money over time •Maintain or improve vehicle acceleration performance •Focus on cost-effective technology that can be commercialized and transferred to the private sector The Development of EPA’s Hydraulic Hybrid Technology EPA’s multi-year research program to develop hydraulic hybrid technology has produced a proof-of- concept test chassis that:… The hydraulic system offers great advantages for vehicles operating in stop-and-go conditions because the system can capture large amounts of energy when the brakes are applied. This energy is subsequently used to propel the vehicle. Technical challenges with hydraulic hybrids include noise and packaging issues, but EPA is continuing to develop this technology to resolve these issues. With the success of its hydraulic hybrid chassis, EPA has begun to transfer the technology to the private sector. EPA is currently developing the hydraulic hybrid technology in urban delivery trucks and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks; other attractive applications include school buses, and waste disposal trucks…

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