DENTON, Texas --- Peterbilt’s medium-duty hybrid vehicles purchased in the United States are eligible for a tax credit of up to $12,000 from the federal government, the company said. 

The Department of Treasury's heavy manufacturing and transportation group certified the Peterbilt Model 335 Class 7 and Model 330 Class 6 Hybrid Electric vehicles as eligible for these credits.

The maximum $12,000 credit for Class 7 hybrids is available for the Model 335 Hybrid Electric in both utility-boom and pickup and delivery applications when equipped with a PACCAR PX-6 engine and an Eaton hybrid system.

A $6,000 credit, the maximum for Class 6 hybrids, is available for the Model 330 Class 6 Hybrid Electric in utility-boom and pickup-and-delivery applications when equipped with a PACCAR PX-6 engine and an Eaton hybrid system.

"Peterbilt's product breadth in hybrid vehicles is pacing the industry with research and development in four applications for Class 6 through Class 8 trucking segments," said Larry Reding, assistant general manager of sales and marketing for Peterbilt Motors Company. "The federal tax credit combined with the over 30-percent fuel efficiency gains makes these products very attractive for our environmentally conscious customers."   

The Model 335 Hybrid Electric uses components that provide up to a 30- to 40-percent improvement in fuel efficiency, when configured for a utility application. These fuel savings are realized through both an on-road fuel economy gain and an 80-percent reduction in engine idling, through electric operation of the Power Take-Off (PTO) using the on-board lithium-ion batteries, Peterbilt said.

The Model 330 Hybrid Electric is available with a 26,000-pound GVW rating, and can be configured for non-CDL operation with hydraulic brakes for a greater range of driver options. The integration of the Eaton Hybrid Drive System and the 260-horsepower PACCAR PX-6 engine delivers up to 860 ft-lbs of torque. Launching the vehicle electrically in an urban driving cycle can easily achieve fuel economy benefits in excess of 30 percent, Peterbilt said.