You’ve got to be careful with the accelerator because hybrid school buses like to go.
Dan Taghon…said his district’s new hybrid bus has been running routes since Jan. 3. And Taghon, who drives the bus on one of the district’s six routes, said he likes the 65-passenger machine powered by an electric motor and a V-8 diesel engine…
And that’s why it takes some practice to get the most out of Iowa’s first two hybrid buses.
The hybrid buses feature electric drive trains that can move the buses at street speeds; their diesel engines take over at higher speeds. They also have technology that captures some of the energy of braking and uses that to help recharge their own batteries.
Taghon, the director of transportation for the Sigourney district, said last week he still hadn’t had to refuel his district’s hybrid bus. After eight runs, he said the bus still had half to three-quarters of a tank of diesel.
You shouldn’t be surprised to learn of heavy hybrids. FedEx has cut operating costs in half every place they’ve introduced diesel-hybrids in the U.S. – and they’re replacing straight diesel trucks in Europe, now, as well.
Freight haulers in the United States have been making the same conversions to both long and short-haul vehicles.
Wow, this news almost gives me hope for the future … almost.
Its about time
All of these 3/4 empty busses on their way to school and training
A more efficient school bus is the way to go – even if its only 1/4 full
More students in the bus is answer number one
GOUSA should make the economic/security stimulus to put pure electrics in place.
In a nation that touts being a technology leader==how consistently backwards looking can we be?
Guffaw!!! and Har!
Diesel and electric is the answer But where diesel fuel was $2.50 a gallon, last summer it jumped to $3.75. Oil shortage, my ass. Republican greed will remove a certain amount from your wallet based upon how many miles you drive, having nothing to do with the green environment, only the green in your pocket. Like how does natural gas pumped from the ground in Alberta have anything to do with oil shortages, just an excuse to continue raping the economy until we rid ourselves of that republican infestation currently bleeding us dry.
And in SC we are still using buses from the 1980’s!
One of our regular commenters [you know who you are!] has educated me a great deal about contemporary diesel technology over the last year or so. Enough so – that I’m now an advocate.
What especially pisses me off is that diesel is cheaper to produce than gasoline. It goes out the door cheaper than gasoline. Yet, I live in a state where the price is 20% higher than gasoline.
Federal and state political hacks have so grown accustomed to raping the trucking industry – knowing full well increased costs end up transferred to consumers – they have made a useful commodity less affordable.
“After eight runs, he said the bus still had half to three-quarters of a tank of diesel.”
Aames, Iowa (AP) – School officials were horrified this morning to learn that their entire fleet of hybrid buses was destroyed in a catastrophic fire at the depot. A witness reported a dark-clad man running from the depot just before the fire, snickering malevolently and talking into a cell phone. The witness swore he heard the words “mission accomplished, Mr. Cheney”…
Anyone who knows anything about the machines around us shouldn’t be surprised that heavy transportation is running a hybrid. The first and foremost Hybrid devices in existance have been that way for decades. Diesel Locomotives.
They use a slightly different concept though. Diesel generators with pure electric motors. They use dynamic breaking, but they don’t charge up batteries with it. Most pass it through on a resistor network and turn that energy into heat, but some dump it into the local utility grid.
Don’t expect all hybrids to get 35MPG though. Even with all of the hybrid models on the road now, only 2 can meet the new mileage standards, and those two can only do it because of their extremely low weight. My old non-hybrid 1989 Plymouth Horizon could do 33+mpg in all situations, but only because it weighed about 3000 pounds vs. the 4600 my current car weighs for its 25mpg.
At least First Student isn’t running the thing…
In Texas, Diesel hybrid school buses are called Dyke machines or Limp wristed kidmobiles.
My favorite hybrid buses are made by Designline. They still have a opwrations in New Zealand, where they started the company, but were bought out by an American, who has set up headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Charlotte, SC. They’re hiring.
One thing about school buses, they run about the same no. of miles every school day of every year (regardless of students aboard). So if they’re going to do that, why not make them more efficient? That’s a good way to save money for the district and the property tax payers.
Did you see this article on CM about a new engine design that can save about 20% on fuel consumption and Co2 emissions? Even if it’s the diesel that charges the batteries, sounds like a good deal to me.
Darn, why didn’t I think of that?
http://cagematch.dvorak.org/index.php/topic,3449.0.html