I recall reading that Seattle also used hybrid buses on highway routes and complained that they saw little or no economy improvement.

This looks like some powerful interests are trying to sabotage the hybrid program.

Suburban routes may not be ideal for that type of hybrid buses. Much larger battery packs and smaller more efficient gensets would be indicated. With quick charge stations at each end, buses could run mostly on electricity.

A strict (electronically imposed) speed limit of 50 or 60 kph would also help to redress drivers acquired race tract behavior.

Serial hybrid such as Orion should excel at stop & go (inner-city), but not do so well cruising due to power conversions in the drive train.

Dec 13, 2004 was the date of the Seattle PI's article...'Hybrid buses fuel economy promises don't materialize'.

This is why the hybrid makers need to embrace the Nanobus concept I am pushing (warning: blatant self promotion), of adding Opportunity charging of hybrid buses. Serial hybrid buses already have big battery packs, electric motors, and can run in "all electric" mode. Adding opportunity charging at the end of the route can substantially boost the all electric running and cut diesel use dramatically, from 40 - 90 percent depending on how long the route is, and how much AC is used. It also may work better here in Spain, where the routes are more compact. It's all here at www.nanobus.org

E-P:

I'm not sure if malice is necessarily involved. One also needs to consider incompetence. It's possible that they just don't get it and assign routes based on other criteria, so they don't get their money's worth out of these buses.

In terms of Seattle performance, part of the reason some buses are assigned highway routes is because some buses must go through the city's transit tunnel downtown. They need the all electric mode down there, but these also tend to be long express routes. Thus, some of the double-sized hybrid buses are being used like a light rail train: start in downtown, travel the freeway in the bus lane, stop at a transit center in a suburb. However they do mix it up with typical city routes also. Back when they first got these buses, the priority was to replace the very old, black-smoke belching buses wherever they were.

None of the buses run by SoundTransit, which mostly operate on all freeway routes, are hybrids that I've seen.

The Toronto buses use lead acid batteries to store the charge.

It should also be noted that the buses until recently were used mainly in the west end of the city. These routes are typically long time between stop routes with long distances between stops. Not the ideal route for hybrid technology.

Roger:

Are the Nanobus used in Granada, Spain miniature buses or are they regular size city buses powered by nano-technology batteries?

Either way, it seems to be the best way to go for city buses, specially when long lasting battery packs price go down to $300/KWh or less.

The very small on-board genset could use CNG or equivalent to further reduce GHG (when in use).

Eventually, the large flat roof area could support almost 300 sq. ft. of high efficiency solar panels to further reduce drain on batteries.