With fuel prices just getting higher and higher, everyone just feels the weight of the expense of fueling their cars. If a person who only has one car to maintain feels this burden, the more that truck operators feel this pain that's burning their pockets. Imagine how many trucks they have to put fuel on day in and day out. Their trucks are on the road most of the day and sometimes even seven days a week.
But the fuel price is not just the only problem that these truck operators and everyone else faces today. The other big problem related to the use of cars is the effects brought about by its fuel fumes to the environment.
For these two problems, there is one answer. Hybrid trucks have been developed in response to these two dilemmas. At first, it was tested for military use. And then tests and development continued until these recent years that truck manufacturers have finally announced its soon release dates. These hybrid trucks have been showcased in truck shows.
Two of the leaders in this arena are Peterbilt and Kenworth. Peterbilt is set to release the first hybrid trucks soon. They will be available in shows this year and preorders are accepted as early as now. Peterbilt is also looking into entering a contract with Wal-mart. Should this push through Peterbilt will be getting a big deal Wal-mart being the second largest truck operations in the US today.
Kenworth, on the other hand, will be following Peterbilt's release of hybrid trucks. Even though it showcased its hybrid trucks earlier, the release of their brand will come second to Peterbilt's. The company has not reported any big prospects as of yet though.
The development and the news of the release of these hybrid trucks has got many truckers excited and eager to make the switch. Others are hesitating though because of the high costs of buying hybrid trucks. Still, with the savings it promises to give truck operators many of them still find it profitable and really worth to invest in these vehicles. Each hybrid trucks is said to give savings to them up to as much as $10,000 every year so it's just something that truckers think they should have. With such great savings, their business would be more profitable. The expensive upfront cost of buying a hybrid truck would surely be worth it because of the saving in daily fuel expenses.
What's also nice about using these hybrid trucks is that there would be less harm done in the environment. With the many trucks the truck owners and operators have, the impact would really be great. The environment would be saved and operators will also be able to save on gas money. With these two hand and hand, everybody will come out happier and healthier.
While skeptics are not as sold out on the idea of hybrid trucks, supporters who are very eager to update their trucks with the new hybrid trucks are ordering them already. This stir is quite great that more and more companies are vying replace their trucks with new hybrid trucks.
The design of trucks today is moving beyond the standard views of either an SUV or a traditional truck. There are a number of crossover vehicles, and concern about fuel costs is also impacting the truck and SUV market. Many truck companies have a number of models based on the smallest platforms that these companies have ever offered. Even the classic Ford Explorer, which coined the term SUV in the first place, may become a crossover in the not so distant future. A number of these vehicles are or moving toward platforms based on a standard car chassis.
Let's begin with a vehicle that stays strongly in the old tradition, the Dodge Ram. The new half ton truck looks even more aggressive than the previous models, something whose profile seems like a finger poking the other guys in the chest. This truck will come with a full V-6, and may include the possibility of a new Hemi engine at a future date. The rear axle of the new Ram now has coils rather than leaf springs, which is a major change in the ride of this truck. Also, Dodge has included storage in the cab for all of its four-door models, in addition to storage integrated into the bed of the truck. This is a great new truck that may turn the head of some truck owners.
Ford's current offering, the Explorer America, is a little smaller than the current Explorer. It should be about 500 pounds lighter than the current model, and will have direct injection turbo charged for its V-6 which comes with a 6 speed automatic transmission. You may no longer see a V-8 option in the Explorer line in the near future. Ford will likely choose a higher horsepower V-6 to replace the current top end engine. These are significant changes to the traditional Explorer, and Ford is hoping that their customers will be comfortable with the changes.
There is a new Land Rover which is a smaller version of the Range Rover Sport. This traditional Land Rover exterior design is modified by a sports car like windshield and a lower roof line. This model is green friendly, in that its leather seats are made with metal free chemicals, and the glass inserts are made from recycled glass bottles. Land Rover views this as its version of the Mini Cooper or the Audi TT. This vehicle has a lot of style and elegance.
Toyota has a new small truck offering, which may give new interest to the rather lackluster compact truck sales at the present time. It is the A-BAT, with a unibody chassis, removable storage boxes, and WiFi for passengers. It has a wheel base two inches longer than the Highlander's, and is about as long as the RAV4. The profile of the truck has a distinctive look, and should be well worth a test drive.
Suzuki has a new offering in the midsize truck field, which will be named the Equator. It is based on the Nissan Frontier, and will be built in Tennessee starting later this year at the Nissan factory. This Nissan built truck, with Nissan styling, will balance out Suzuki's offering of GM based vehicles. Details on the components and performance of this vehicle be released later.
From Dodge to Toyota, the new trucks reflect the range from standard truck design to distinct crossover versions. Each new offering has its benefits, and should quickly find an appreciative audience.
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