MIAMI – Parker Hannifin Corporation, a global provider of motion and control technologies, announced that Miami-Dade County in south Florida has placed a follow-on order for 29 Autocar E3 refuse trucks featuring Parker's RunWise technology.

RunWise replaces a Class 8 refuse truck’s conventional drivetrain with a series hybrid drive system that marries the variable features of a hydrostatic drive for urban routes during refuse collection with a mechanical drive for efficient operation at highway speeds.

"Miami-Dade has seen some tremendous results with their test fleet and we are pleased they have made such a strong commitment to the technology with this large order,” said Jeff Cullman, president – Hydraulics Group. “While they were able to secure federal EPA funding for half of this order, investing their own money demonstrates the positive economics and payback on the technology as a stand-alone purchase."

Miami-Dade used funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase 15 of the vehicles as part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign's Emerging Technologies List. RunWise is the only drivetrain technology on the list.   

"We've been very pleased with the overall performance of the vehicles with RunWise technology," said Danny Diaz, director of fleet management for Miami-Dade County. "The savings we are seeing is significant when you look at the long-term with these hybrid trucks."

Beyond brake energy recovery capabilities and reduced noise levels, the Autocar refuse trucks equipped with RunWise technology commonly demonstrate annual fuel savings in the range of 35-50 percent (equivalent to a 50-100 percent improvement in fuel economy measured in miles per gallon) for the automatic side loader, reusing as much as 71 percent of the vehicle's braking energy.  Additional benefits include reduced maintenance costs, less engine wear and tear as well as extended brake life.

The RunWise version of the Autocar refuse trucks is currently in operation in Miami-Dade County and a number of cities around the country including in Hialeah, Fla.; Miami.; Seymour, Ind.; and Austin, Texas.