BOSTON — XL Hybrids Inc., a supplier of fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, has announced the successful installation of its XL3 hybrid electric drive system in the fleet of Watkins Heating & Cooling, a HVAC service company headquartered in Springboro, Ohio. Watkins will convert four more General Motors vans this year using XL Hybrids’ technology and plans to replace its entire 15-vehicle fleet with hybrids in the coming years.

“The Watkins Heating and Cooling fleet is a great application for the XL3 hybrid electric drive system,” said Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids’ co-founder and vice president. “Watkins’ service technicians drive in and around neighborhoods carrying heavy equipment. Their service routes involve lots of stop and go driving, which enables the customer to take better advantage of the XL3’s regenerative braking and reduce fuel consumption.”

The XL3 saves fuel through regenerative braking, a process by which the electric motor helps slow the vehicle when the driver brakes, charging the battery. When the driver accelerates, the battery releases the energy to the electric motor, helping propel the vehicle.

“We anticipate getting a positive return on our investment in the XL3 hybrid system in just over two years because we’re seeing 30 to 35 percent improvement in fuel efficiency,” said David Watkins, vice president of Watkins Heating & Cooling. “Plus, with XL Hybrids’ powertrain, we anticipate saving our service technicians about 20 gas fill-ups a year. In addition to cutting fuel costs, our technicians have more time to focus on customer service, while minimizing time on refueling the van. Improving the efficiency of our revenue producers is the main reason we are planning to transition our entire fleet to hybrid electric as we replace older fleet vehicles.”

For more information on XL Hybrids’ technology and availability, visit www.xlhybrids.com.

Publication date: 6/8/2015

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