Courtesy EPA
Who would have thought?
It wasn’t long ago that diesel was the transportation whipping boy. Dirtier than gasoline. Particulate matter (cough, wheeze) concerns.
Then came low-sulfur diesel regs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And technology like particulate filters. The VW Jetta diesel was named a 2009 green car of the year.
The EPA is now showing off a Michigan-developed cargo mover called a series hydraulic hybrid yard hostler.
Besides the catchy name (not really), the mover boasts a power train that recovers, stores and reuses braking power while reducing idling and optimizing engine operation, the agency says.
Holsters are used to transfer cargo containers at places like marine ports and rail yards.
The greener holster sprouted from EPA programs including Clean Ports USA, and has similarities to hybrid gas-electric cars.
Here’s a related story. Just posted:
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/40023