Peco to electrify utility trucks

Peco Energy Co. will buy and modify about 20 Ford F550 utility trucks to operate as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) as part of a U.S. Department of Energy pilot program, Peco spokesman Michael Wood said today.

The Philadelphia company is one of about 50 utilities participating in a consortium to demonstrate PHEV performance in 378 mid-sized trucks. The consortium, organized by the Electric Power Research Institute, was given a $45 million stimulus grant. The utilities will receive matching grants up to $2.5 million to pay for the vehicles, which will be manufactured in the next two years in Michigan and Kentucky.

Peco also recently added two trucks that are fueled with compressed natural gas. Its fleet now includes 16 natural-gas vehicles, 47 hybrid electric SUVs and 650 trucks that use biodiesel fuel.