Fleetwood RV Diesel Electric Hybrid

While US legislators continue to hammer out the details of the Detroit 3 bailout, I thought it would be fun to talk about something new and different. Fleetwood RV is one of the largest manufacturers of motor homes and trailers and they have just announced an exciting new vehicle. It is a motor home concept powered by a hybrid diesel electric drivetrain that promises up to 42% better fuel economy. This is a huge gain in fuel efficiency and promises to be a game changer in the RV world.

From the Fleetwood RV website:

"Fleetwood Enterprises' RV Group, a leading producer of recreational vehicles, today announced the unveiling of its first-ever Fleetwood Hybrid motor home concept vehicle during RVIA's 46th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky. on December 2 - 4, 2008.

Built on the ecoFRED, a hybrid electric power train system chassis from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, Fleetwood Hybrid features increased fuel economy up to 42%* and can be re-fueled at any diesel fuel station.

"At Fleetwood, we know in order for RVs to remain relevant and viable in a changing world, maintaining a focus on innovation is more important that ever," said Paul Eskritt, president of Fleetwood's RV Group. "One of the ways we have been doing this is by supporting and collaborating with our supplier partners, like Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation."

"ecoFRED builds on our proven track record of innovation, but it is the support of our OEM partners like Fleetwood that will help it become a viable technology for the RV market," said Jonathan Randall of Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. "We are confident that both dealers and the RV consumer will appreciate the efforts we are making to make RVs a greener way to travel."

To put this into perspective, it would be akin to your 30 mpg auto jumping up to nearly 45 mpg. Obviously, the Detroit 3 seem unable to give us these types of efficiency gains, but apparently the Fleetwood RV group and its technology partners hve.