Breaker, Breaker: Peterbilt's Fuel Cell APU Means No Idling at Wally World

So you're a trucker stinging from high fuel prices. You don't want to back off the hammer and do double-nickel in the granny lane, nor do you want to turn off the AC in the sleeper cab on a hot Texas night. Well, we've got good news for you, Rubber Duck: our friends at eTrucker.com report that Peterbilt has demonstrated a fuel-cell big rig that powers your creature comforts when you're parked, all while saving your motion lotion for the Big Slab.

The Peterbilt makes use of a solid oxide fuel cell auxilary power unit (SOFC APU) from Delphi that provides 800 watts of electricity through oxidation rather than combustion. In a July test, Peterbilt and Delphi found that the SOFC APU could power all the "hotel loads" (AC, radio, lights, and of course CB radio) for ten hours without firing up the main engine. In other words, it'll keep you and your dog Fred cool and entertained.

Since a SOFC requires a starting temperature upwards of 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, the secret to the new unit's success lies in heat from the truck's engine. After a typical day's haul the diesel will bring the SOFC APU up to operating temperature where it can run overnight. This innovation was discovered by the late Delphi scientist Dr. Jerry Reed and chronicled in his Department of Energy brief, "When You're Hot, You're Hot."

For truckers who find themselves outside of the range of "shore power"
(a place to plug in their traditional APU), the SOFC APU will be an
attractive alternative to idling. Peterbilt's ComfortClass
system uses charged batteries to run climate control systems and
promises to reduce annual fuel consumption by eight percent, but it won't
let you listen to The Truckin' Bozo on XM (though we're not sure that's such a bad thing).

Peterbilt promises the fuel cell will run off of nearly anything from natural gas to military logistics fuel, which will come as welcome relief to both Californian produce haulers sweltering due to idle restrictions and the brave truckers of Baghdad who don't need any more reasons to sweat. According to Delphi, the SOFC APU was mounted to Peterbilt's Model 386 (shown above) because of its already fuel-efficient performance. "It merges conventional Peterbilt styling with leading aerodynamic
design and has been recognized as fuel efficient and environmentally
friendly by the EPA's SmartWay program," a Delphi press release said. We tried to get a quote from C.W. McCall, but were informed that he's not a real person.

Photo courtesy Peterbilt.