Too much publicity is given to Carbon Dioxide and global warming, when air pollution is the real problem.

That’s the view of Cliff Hall, Director and Co-founder of an exciting start-up company Innovative Transport Solutions (ITS), which is dedicated to converting vehicles, especially transport fleets, into electric hybrids which have the potential to halve the world’s petroleum fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

“There are over eight hundred million motor vehicles on the road today,” Hall says. “We have a retrofit concept design for all of them."
 
"Most of these vehicles will continue spewing out their toxic emissions for decades to come. Meanwhile, our simple retrofit conversions will produce the same outcome as newly manufactured hybrid vehicles on the road today.”

Cliff Hall grew up on a hobby farm; always building, wrecking and rebuilding ‘paddock basher’ vehicles. When he left school at 15 Hall began a career in vehicle trimming and restoring vintage cars. 

A TAFE trade teacher and ‘Conceptual Designer’, Hall says he was happy enough inventing things; finding solutions to problems and producing prototypes until he read about the impact of pollution. 

“In Sydney the pollution capital of Australia, 1400 residents die annually from air pollution related illnesses,” Hall says.

“A Queensland study has found that mothers with a higher exposure to air pollution have foetuses that are, on average, smaller in terms of abdominal circumference, head circumference and femur length."
 
"This is a major predictor of low IQ and future health problems like cardiovascular disease. We are killing the future.” 

With partner Dennis Wells, who has over 40 years experience in the transport business and owns a road freight company, Hall put up $500,000 of his own capital using his mortgage to fund the new company.

The money allowed the development and manufacture of Hall’s retrofit electric hybrid conversion systems for all types of motor vehicles.  

“Although the hybrid system is not new, we are the first to apply this technology to existing vehicles,” Hall explains.

“There is a great deal of resistance to change. Whenever an alternative type of fuel or drive system is mentioned, there is a hail of unfounded criticism to squash the idea."
 
"I decided to shut them up and prove the worth of alternative powered vehicles and fuels.”  

Innovative Transport Solutions currently has two prototypes nearing completion with testing to begin soon.

One of these is the Argosy, a road train used for shorthaul, linehaul and interstate road freight.
 
Recently on show at the Sydney Truck show, Hall says the Argosy system can be trialled by any trucking company wishing to verify the reductions in fuel costs that can be achieved by an electric hybrid vehicle.

“For a typical Sydney to Melbourne run in Australia, a distance of approximately 1,000 kilometres, the Argosy electric hybrid conversion is expected to reduce fuel consumption and emissions output by 25 per cent,” Hall says.

“Single trailers and B-double trailers will also be trialled on the Hume Highway run."

On other routes, B-triple and double road trains will used to test maximum loading for this electric hybrid system. Data will be posted on the ITS website when available.” 

Electric hybrids such as those employed by FedEx and TNT are newly purpose built by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

With an integrated electric motor in the vehicles transmission, these systems can’t be retrofitted to other vehicles.  

“Our system is like fitting any accessory to a vehicle, it’s a nut and bolt procedure,” Hall explains. “Our retrofit conversion kit will be marketed as a package DIY system for service centres to fit."
 
"We plan to have a global franchise, ‘MC Hybrid’. This might need a better name, but you get the idea.” 

There are 5 basic conversion designs for different vehicles. 

“Heavy vehicles have an electric motor close coupled directly to the truck’s differential/axle unit,” Hall explains.

“Accessories are mounted within the chassis perimeter. Potentiometers and switches are attached to the pedals of the vehicle and interface using our unique Mechatronic Control Unit (MCU)."

 “Single drive middleweight and lightweight vehicles use our ‘Zed drive unit’. This involves an adapter housing a second pinion shaft, which is bolted to the rear of the differential/axle unit."

"The electric motor is close coupled to the live rear axle. Again, accessories are mounted within the chassis perimeter with potentiometers and switches attached to the pedals of the vehicle, to interface using the MCU.” 

“The Zed drive design can also be used for cars with live rear axles” Hall says. “For IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) vehicles, a special adapter unit is used as the differential centre is bolted to the vehicle’s body/chassis."
 
"The principal is the same. Batteries are housed in the boot, or can be distributed about the vehicle for better weight distribution if necessary.” 

“Our newest design is for Front Wheel Drive or east west engine vehicles," Hall says. "This is still in development and due for release early next year.” 

Innovative Transport Systems currently has no income while the prototypes are being produced, however the company has a number of interested clients in Australia, the US, Brazil and Turkey, who will test the prototypes and purchase the associated conversion kits.

An alliance formed with the CRC for Forestry and TimberCorp in Western Australia will be the first to bear fruit for ITS.
 
“Our agreement with CRC and TimberCorp involves the production of a 6X6 electric hybrid truck, the second prototype we’ve developed,” Hall explains.

“This was also on display along side the Argosy at the recent Truck Show.”

“The CRC will be testing and evaluating both vehicles while in service with TimberCorp in Albany, WA,” he says.

“Data collected will be invaluable in developing our electric hybrid conversion systems. These vehicles will have to endure the harshest of working environments during the forestry harvesting operations, proving the durability of our conversion systems.”
 
Hall says ITS prototypes have been designed for the specific needs of clients such as the CRC. “Each client will complete its own testing and offer suggestions to improve the vehicles (if necessary) for their tasks."
 
"Because of the close working relationships with each client during the production of the prototypes, future sales are a certainty."
 
"Our clients have been involved in our projects from concept to completion,” Hall says.

Like most newly conceived technology, price is an issue.

“Until we can mass-produce the conversion kits the sale price is uneconomical at this time” Hall admits.

“The Argosy Hybrid prototype cost about $120,000 to convert. If we have orders for 200 units, this price can be reduced by 50 per cent. So the more orders we get the cheaper the units will be.”  

“Our newest client in the US uses up to $60,000 of fuel per annum in a single truck,” Hall says. “He carries oversize loads and is slow moving."
 
"Our goal is to offer him a 50 per cent reduction for his vehicles.” 

Hall says if the company can reduce the cost of producing conversion units to $60,000 they will pay for themselves within 2 years.

“The life of the electric unit is about 10 years” he says. “In addition to fuel savings, the hybrid system assists with all the heavy work so the truck requires less maintenance."
 
"In hilly country an extra 200 hp will come in handy. We aim to make this an affordable system for the truck operator."
 
"I expect to have a lot of friends in the near future.” 

Further down the track, Hall says the company’s intention is to concentrate on the commercial market that is, fleet owners and government departments. 

With such bright prospects, Hall says ITS is currently seeking investors or partners for the projects planned in 2009.  

“When funds are available, we can double the size of our engineering shop,” Hall says. “Mechanised welding and cutting machines will be purchased to increase production and reduce costs."
 
"More work will be done in house so we have full control over quality and delivery schedules. Fitting stations will be franchised to covert the maximum number of vehicles in the shortest time."
 
“We started at the top of the food chain with the Argosy Hybrid,” Hall adds. “Our next prototype is a Mercedes Sprinter delivery van and the F150 ford truck.” 

“In 2009 we'll start the Electric Hybrid Bus conversions. Taxicabs and small front wheel drive delivery vans will follow. This will be completed by Christmas 2010.” 

Hall  says he also has a marine electric hybrid system in development for inboard motors. 

In addition, ITS will continue its partnership with the CRC for Forestry in 2009 to develop an electric hybrid system for forestry tractors, which is similar to the marine version. 

According to Cliff Hall, electric hybrids are the answer to our immediate problems caused by CO2 emissions and air pollution, especially in relation to commercial vehicles.   

“Gas conversions are also great,” he says. “This kind of conversion could be combined with our system to further reduce consumption and emissions.” 

In terms of hydrogen, Hall says pigs might fly. “The cost of the fuel is too high and the fuel tank is too large and bulky for a very small capacity,” he points out.

“Also, the cost of distribution is forbidding.”  

“Meanwhile, great inroads are being made with magnetic motors, which aim to produce perpetual motion, the inventor’s ‘holy grail’,” he says.
 
“Like our current vehicles, this type of motor only needs a starter to get it going. After that it just keeps revolving."
 
"No external fuel or electric power is used. I’ll be watching the progress of this kind of development closely.”  

“Anything that reduces air pollution should be used,” Hall emphasises. “I want to see blue skies over the world’s capital cities as soon as possible."
 
"We can learn to live with global warming, but we can’t live without clean air.”  

For more information call Cliffard Hall on 02 46830160 or email: cliff@itselectric.com

Leave a comment