Lightning Hybrids scores big order from early customer

LOVELAND – One of the earliest adopters of Loveland-based Lightning Hybrids LLC’s hybrid conversion systems for medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles has doubled down with an order for 32 more units.

The new order from Kiessling Transit, a Massachusetts company that provides shuttle service for health-care transport, follows an order of 35 units in mid-2015. Kiessling was also one of the first companies to do a pilot run of Lightning Hybrid’s systems on its buses back in 2013.

Lightning Hybrids makes an “energy recovery system” that can both be installed on new vehicles and retrofitted onto existing vehicles. The ERS applies a hydraulic system to the driveline of a vehicle to regenerate braking energy. Pumps and a lightweight accumulator brake the vehicle, store the energy, and then use the stored energy to apply power to the wheels. The system has helped Kiessling increase fuel efficiency by 25 percent on its Ford E-450 passenger buses.

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In addition to decreased fuel costs, Lightning Hybrids also touts its systems, which sell for between $16,000 and $30,000 each, as being able to extend brake life and provide better low-end torque.