Anybody who has ever passed by a rest stop in the middle of the night may notice a plethora of long-haul trucks parked in a row. Some of you may also notice that most of them are running, and may be puzzled as to why that is. This is because in an effort to stay comfortable while sleeping, truck drivers leave their massive diesel engines running to power the vehicle’s air conditioning/heating systems, as well as the television or whatever else they have running in their sleepers. This leads to several million metric tons of excess CO2 emissions each year. And if you believe Al Gore, CO2 is the primary reason why Planet Earth has been warming up lately.
So, in an effort to downsize CO2 emissions from trucks, IdleAir has presented a solution that allows truckers to have climate control and the ability to power their electronics without the use of their engine. A driver simply has to pull into an IdleAir space and apply a reusable plastic window adapter that is able to connect their cab to a heating and cooling air vent, TV, power outlets, internet and other conveniences. This is said to save drivers around one gallon of diesel fuel per hour compared to if their truck would otherwise be running at idle. It’s a neat thing, and Chevrolet (GM) is in full support, as it has been lately with a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
No details were given as to how Chevrolet will collaborate with IdleAir, but the two are looking to expand the availability of the forward-thinking system in the future. As we like to say here, stay tuned for more.
Courtesy of GM Authority
