CUTTING AND SAVING WITH HYBRID BUSES
Transit agencies are increasingly finding that wider use of low-pollution buses – such as diesel-electric hybrid models – can substantially cut vehicle pollution while conserving fuel at the same time. Those two reasons are why the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which runs Philadelphia’s transit systems, plans to buy 400 new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses from New Flyer of America for over $212 million, adding to the 32 diesel-electric hybrid units it already operates.
SEPTA plans to introduce the new hybrid buses into its bus fleet starting in March, replacing existing buses that have reached the end of their 12-year life cycle. SEPTA said the key benefit to these buses are significantly reduced engine exhaust emissions and increase of fuel economy. Hybrid buses on average are 29% more fuel efficient than normal diesel buses and can reduce carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions by 80% and 38% respectively, according to SEPTA research.
Including this recent award, SEPTA has ordered over 1100 buses from New Flyer since 2000, including clean diesel, hybrid-electric and electric trolley buses.
Additionally, New Flyer was recently awarded an order by BC Transit in Victoria,
BC to build North America’s first commercial fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses. New Flyer, in conjunction with Ballard Power Systems and ISE Corporation, will manufacture and deliver 20 40-foot hydrogen fuel cell buses for delivery by the end of 2009. The new fleet will initially be based in Whistler, BC and will be an integral part of the public transportation infrastructure during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Other bus orders recently awarded to New Flyer include the delivery to Community Transit in Everett, WA of 15 60-foot hybrid BRT vehicles with options for an additional 34 buses, 47 clean diesel buses for OC Transpo in Ottawa, ON with options for an additional 77 buses, 35 diesel buses for Mississauga Transit in Mississauga, ON, 52 CNG vehicles for Valley Metro of Phoenix, AZ and 20 hybrid buses for Winnipeg Transit in Winnipeg, MB.
The level of activity in 2007 has resulted in a significantly improved backlog position for the year. The total number of orders reported by New Flyer in 2007 is 3,886 buses with a value of over US $1.9 billion.
