In January 2009 President Obama declared strong support for initiatives that aim to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming. As a part of his green stimulus package, he assigned $2.4 billion for loans and grants to companies investing in the development of low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicles.
Some of the federal money went to Navistar – a company that specializes in the production of trucks, buses, and vehicle engines. At first the company received a $39.2 million grant to develop its first all-electric commercial truck called eStar. The vehicle had its official premiere on May, 13th. It is a medium-duty vehicle with a range of 100 miles, and maximum speed of 50 mph. Its battery can be fully charged in 6 to 8 hours and, if necessary, can be exchanged in 20 minutes , which enables 24/7 operation. The truck will be now tested by FedEx in its Los Angeles fleet. The manufacturer claims that eStar can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 10 tons of carbon dioxide a year when compared to diesel trucks. In January 2010 Navistar was given a hefty sum of $37.3 million – this time for investment in a “Super Truck” featuring a 50 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Better efficiency is expected to be achieved by improving truck and trailer aerodynamics, waste heat recovery, combustion efficiency, hybridization, and idle reduction.
