Portland, Maine, METRO adds CNG to Transit Fleet
28 April 2006
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| John Deere 6081H CNG engine |
Portland, Maine, METRO is introducing CNG to its fleet with the addition of 13 new CNG-powered transit buses and a CNG refueling station. The natural gas fueling station will also be used by the Portland School Department and made available to fuel other vehicles that use natural gas.
The Orion VII buses use the 6081H 6-cylinder, 8.0-liter turbocharged natural gas engine from John Deere, which delivers 280 hp (209 kW) of power at 2,200 rpm and 1,220 Nm of torque at 1,500 rpm.
The 6081H is also available for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and has been certified to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions levels and California Air Resources Board (CARB) optional low NOx standards 1.2 g/bhp-hr for MHHD, HHDD, and urban bus vehicles.
John Deere Power Systems will offer a 9.0-liter natural gas engine, which will be available in 2007 and will be certified to 2010 emissions levels of 0.2 g/bhp-hr for MHHD, HHDD, and urban bus vehicles. This engine offers an expanded power range of 250 hp–300+ hp and a peak torque of 1,050 ft-lbs at the maximum rating, which will help optimize vehicle low-end performance. The 9.0L engine will be also available in compressed natural gas or liquid natural gas.
The METRO, with a fleet of 28 buses, has annual ridership averaging 1.3 million and is Maine’s largest public transportation carrier.
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