County Starts Using Electric Buses
A city in California recently got some new buses. They cost $490,000 each. The new buses are different than the old ones.
These new buses are better for the environment. They are called hybrid buses. They run on diesel and electric power. This will help keep the air cleaner.
One bus driver said that the air smells much cleaner when he drives the new buses. He smells diesel all day when he drives the old ones.
The company that builds the buses had many good things to say about them. For example, they said that they use a lot less fuel. They also said that they are 90 percent cleaner for the environment. The buses are very quiet too.
The buses have a diesel engine in the back and batteries on top. When the engine starts-up it is powered by electricity. Then the diesel power takes over. The motor recharges the batteries.
Over time the city would like to replace all 50 of their buses with the new hybrid buses. They hope to do this over the next three years. The city has had help purchasing the buses with grant money.
(This was adapted from an original story provided by News10 KXTV Sacramento.)
Full Story
Original Title:
San Joaquin Transit System Begins Conversion to Hybrid Buses
The first of a fleet of cleaner-burning buses was unveiled Wednesday in Stockton. The San Joaquin Regional Transit District is just about ready to roll out six hybrid public transit buses.
The buses, which cost $490,000 apiece, run on a combination of diesel and electric power. The district is making the conversion because all bus transit systems are required to meet tougher air quality standards. The man who took the wheel of the new bus Wednesday noticed a difference right away. "I get to breathe clean air for a change," said driver Melvin Day, "Right now, (I'm) smelling diesel all day long."
The bus manufacturer had more good things to say about the buses. "The buses you see will greatly reduce fuel consumption and emissions up to 90 percent, and they're really quiet," said General Motors Company representative Chris Collett.
Collett says the hybrids are equipped with a diesel engine in the back and batteries on top. At start-up the bus is powered by electricity then diesel power takes over. Collett said the principle is that motors become generators and recharge the batteries. General Motors has been making the hybrid buses for three years and has 485 in service in 38 cities. Stockton is the first municipality in California to make the switch-over.
Regional transit General Manager Donna Kelsay says the plan is to replace all of the district's 50-bus fleet to hybrid buses in the next three years. The district is able to make the changeover in part because it went in with other public transit systems to buy in bulk and a federal grant is paying for about 80 percent of the cost.
One other bit of positive news: bus fares will not be increased because of the new buses.
(This story was provided by News10 KXTV Sacramento.)