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February 10, 2000 9:50 AM, EST

A Volvo truck powered by a hybrid electric engine will be the first to hit the road under the U.S. Army’s 21st Century Truck Initiative.

	Volvo Trucks North America
	A Volvo tractor, shown here in desert camouflage, will carry the load in testing hybrid concepts.

The Army hopes it will be the first in a line of safer, more fuel-efficient vehicles that ultimately will be deployed on the battlefield as well as the nation’s highways.

Volvo Trucks North America has jumped into the project with both feet, touting the many benefits of its concept vehicle. But other equipment manufacturers have approached the effort cautiously, not wanting to make a commitment to related projects until the Army and other participating federal agencies clearly spell out the goals of the proposed 10-year, $2 billion initiative.

The Army’s strategy is to develop technologies that will meet military specifications and can be standardized for use on commercial trucks. The federal government expects this approach to generate great savings in operational as well as developmental costs for both the military and the private sector.

For the full story, see the Feb. 7 print edition of Transport Topics. .