Soon, electric-powered trucks!

Washington, June 07 (ANI): After scooters, electric-powered trucks may soon hit the road.

The global market for hybrid medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses is set to increase from 9,000 vehicles in 2010 to more than 100,000 vehicles in 2015, according to a report by Pike Research.

Bill Van Amburg, the senior vice president of CALSTART and the program executive of the Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF), claims hybrid systems can be effective in reduction of the fuel cost in trucking industry.

"Whether it happens tomorrow or in five years, we know [fuel] prices are going to go up, and it's going to go up pretty significantly," National Geographic News quoted him, as saying.

He added: "If fleets can reduce their dependency on fuel, at least they're less at risk as it goes up and down."

Hybrid trucks can also help cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Van Amburg said: "It's a one-to-one ratio between [carbon dioxide] emission and fuel use. If you cut your fuel use by 10 percent, you're cutting your carbon by 10 percent."

However, a hybrid truck or bus can cost anywhere from 40 to 70 percent more than a fuel-only model. (ANI)