Hybrid school buses hit the road
August 26, 2010 § Leave a Comment
In Europe we’re waiting for the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 as our first series-production diesel-electric hybrid, but diesel-electric powertrains have been around for a while elsewhere – including inside the classic American yellow school bus.
The largest-yet fleets of hybrid school buses, with plug-in battery power supplementation, are to begin operation in Wisconsin next week. Built by IC Bus LLC, they have lithium-ion batteries and will be charged using solar-generated electricity. Eleven buses will be operated by Oconomowoc Transport Co and thirteen by Riteway Bus of Germantown. They return 12mpg (US), which might not sound much, but it’s an improvement on the standard-issue 7mpg, and they can run in all-electric mode at up to 27mph, giving emissions benefits when stop-starting in residential areas. Full story at the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
