Here's a concept for you: replace a trailer's passive axle with a hybrid electric-powered package that helps capture energy lost during nominal operating conditions and turn it into more "oomph" when you need it.
Here's a concept for you: replacing a trailer's "passive" axle with one powered by an hybrid electric package that helps capture "wasted energy" during nominal operating conditions, such as when braking, stores that energy in a lithium battery pack, and then feeds it back into an electric motor to provide extra "oomph" for getting up hills, etc. End result: an average of 30% fuel savings for a tractor-trailer, at least according to this unusual trailer axle package manufacturer, Hyliion. (All photos by Sean Kilcarr/Fleet Owner)
Sean Kilcarr is a former longtime FleetOwner senior editor who wrote for the publication from 2000 to 2018. He served as editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2018.