Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) has partnered with Shaanxi Automotive to build a fleet of plug-in hybrid trucks to the Port of Shanghai. Shaanxi said it expects to provide up to 200 of the PHEVs in 2016.

The two companies are already working together on plug-in natural gas hybrid city buses. Shaanxi built a prototype bus and installed an EDI powertrain.

Port drayage vehicles are perfect candidates for electrification. At the Port of Shanghai – the world’s busiest container port – heavy-duty trucks are used to move shipping containers during shifts that run the engine continuously for as long as 20 to 22 hours a day, spewing fumes and cranking out noise.

The PHEV port truck has a capacity of 99,000 pounds, and can operate in all-electric as well as parallel and series hybrid modes. Electrified AC and heating eliminate the need to idle the engine.

“EDI is uniquely positioned to develop technology for many applications given our modular drivetrain architecture and control software,” said Joe Lin, EDI’s Director of Engineering. “In this instance we’re able to electrify port vehicles weighing nearly 45 tons when carrying cargo, therefore reducing the use of conventional fuel vehicles at Shanghai’s port and moving the city towards a cleaner air future.”

Source: Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. via Green Car Congress