PORTLAND, OR First With Full Size Hybrid Buses

FOR RELEASE: April 9, 2002

Tri-Met Becomes First Transit System in Pacific Northwest To Put Hybrid-Electric Bus Into Commercial Service

PORTLAND, OR - At a ceremony today, Tri-Met became the first transit agency in the Pacific Northwest to place a full size hybrid-electric transit bus into commercial service.

The ceremony marked the delivery of two hybrid-equipped transit buses to the transit agency by bus manufacturer New Flyer of America. The 40-foot low floor bus is powered by an advanced hybrid-electric powertrain from Allison Transmission Division of General Motors (GM).

Powered by the Allison Electric DrivesTM hybrid system, the buses bring a solid environmental benefit to the Portland area. The system significantly reduces hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and particulate matter emissions compared to conventional diesel buses.

The Allison Electric DrivesTM -powered buses also deliver 50 percent better acceleration and a significant improvement in fuel efficiency compared to buses equipped with a conventional diesel powertrain.

The buses feature the Cummins ISB engine from Cummins Inc. The engine delivers the ideal combination of power, low weight and low emissions.

The hybrid system is similar to the one that has successfully powered two buses for Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for more than a year.

"Today's bus delivery is another milestone in helping prove hybrid technologies as effective, practical and commercially viable," said Lawrence E. Dewey, President of Allison Transmission. "This system is revolutionizing mass transportation as we know it. We are delighted to join with New Flyer to fill a need for low-emission, high-efficiency transit solutions."

"The delivery of this bus brings a new range of low-emission alternatives for transit systems in the Pacific Northwest, California and elsewhere," said Elizabeth Lowery, General Motors Vice President, Environment & Energy. "GM is also excited about the opportunity to apply advanced hybrid-electric technology in our product, providing mobility to a significant number of people, and having the potential to have a substantial impact in improving the region's air quality."

"New Flyer is proud to deliver hybrid buses to Tri-Met that bring environmentally-friendly, innovative and reliable solutions to the Portland area," said Paul Smith, Vice President Sales and Marketing of New Flyer of America. "We are pleased to join Allison Transmission to complete this significant bus delivery."

"Cummins is pleased to be part of this project," said John Malina, General Manager Worldwide Bus Business of Cummins Inc. "We're excited about the future of hybrid power in the transit bus market."

How hybrid works Hybrid systems use two sources of power to move a vehicle: engine and battery. In the Tri-Met bus, the engine / generator combination works in series with the battery, furnishing electrical power to keep the battery charged.

When the bus accelerates from a stop, the batteries supply powerful acceleration. This eliminates the excessive diesel cloud that an accelerating bus typically emits. The hybrid bus uses the diesel engine to maintain speed after the vehicle is underway. In this mode, the engine also charges the electric power source. In addition, regenerative braking delivers energy normally spun off in heat from the brakes directly to the vehicle's energy storage system for reuse. This super-efficient use of energy makes the bus capable of self-sustaining mobility.

Allison Electric DrivesTM bring the benefits of advanced hybrid technology to a broad class of commercial transit and trucking applications, including articulated buses, suburban coaches, military vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

In 1999, Allison successfully completed a demonstration hybrid bus program for the New York City Transit (NYCT) Authority. In 2000, the company began its hybrid electric "Preview" program. This "first generation hybrid" program, the first step of which was undertaken with New Flyer of America, is bringing hybrid-electric buses to transit systems across North America. California's (OCTA) was the first transit property to place Allison-powered hybrid electric buses into revenue service in 2000. Allison plans to deliver up to 13 hybrid systems to transit operators nationwide in 2002.

Allison Transmission leads the world in the design, manufacture and sales of medium- and heavy-duty automatic transmissions. Founded in 1915, the General Motors division has produced and sold nearly four million transmissions.