CT Transit: Thumbs Up on GM-Allison Hybrid Buses
24 January 2005
CT Transit (Connecticut Transit) recently wrapped up 19 months of operational testing of a pair of GM-Allison hybrid buses manufactured by New Flyer. The results, unlike those obtained in Seattle’s experience, show greater fuel efficiency.
Since they were introduced in June 2003, the New Flyer hybrid buses have been tested for fuel economy, reliability, maintenance expense, and emissions. CTTRANSIT, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) Bureaus’ of Public Transportation and Research, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, New Flyer Bus Company, Allison Electric Drive, Horiba Instruments and the East Coast Hybrid Consortium, has found the new vehicles to be more fuel efficient than the average diesel bus.
To date, the hybrid buses have averaged 10% better fuel economy than their peer diesel buses and 35% better than the CTTRANSIT fleet average. [...]
CTTRANSIT has gathered data on the buses for comparison to identical new clean diesel buses, as well as to the average CTTRANSIT fleet. During the testing period, the buses were operated in Hartford and Stamford, using both regular #1 diesel fuel and ultra low sulfur diesel, and were elaborately monitored for performance, fuel consumption and emissions.
A final report on the demonstration project and recommendations are due in early summer, 2005.
The hybrid buses are currently running in regular service in the Stamford area.
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