Webasto Product North America has expanded its BlueCool Thermal Storage APU product family to include BlueCool Hybrid, giving truck operators the flexibility to use shore power to run the company’s bunk cooler while providing hotel load, the company announced today, March 24, in Louisville.
The shore power option extends Webasto’s focus to help truck owners significantly reduce or eliminate engine idling. “Because it uses electricity from a land-based source, BlueCool Hybrid can produce cool air indefinitely unlike most battery-powered systems that need to be recharged by the engine after a single rest period,” said John Thomas, general manager of Webasto’s Commercial Vehicle division. “Plus it can deliver AC power for standard household appliances, including laptops and other sensitive electronics, without having to use an inverter or the vehicle’s electrical system.”
BlueCool Hybrid uses a standard 120-volt AC power source. Its components include an electrical cord (12 gauge, rated for 20 amps); a junction box including relays, fuses, and circuit breakers; a 30-amp battery charger; and a 120-volt AC GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) receptacle for the vehicle’s interior.
When the system detects an outside power source, it switches to “shore power” mode. Electricity from the grid powers the outlets in the bunk, a battery charger to ensure that the battery has sufficient voltage to start the vehicle and the compressor for Webasto’s BlueCool Thermal Storage unit.
Webasto introduced the original BlueCool Thermal Storage APU in 2006 as an alternative to diesel powered auxiliary power units. It produces cool air using thermal energy stored in a frozen graphite/water matrix.
Webasto products are eligible for the federal excise tax exemption under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership and were among the first idle-reduction devices to receive approval for the California Air Resources Board’s ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) idling emissions-reduction requirements.
