As posted on EcoGeek, GE and the U.S. Department of Energy are discussing how to make large-scale construction vehicles for fuel-efficient. We’re talking things like haul trucks which, when fully loaded, weigh more than 200 pick-up trucks.

Haul trucks are basically massive dump trucks used in mining operations. They, of course, consume massive amounts of fuel, and so increasing effiency marginally can save massive amounts of fuel. Already, most new haul trucks are electrically powered, like diesel locomotives…GE is working on a system to basically run the electric engines in reverse during braking and store the generated electricity in the same battery packs they use for their hybrid locomotives.

We look forward to the hybrid mighty machines.