Hybrid transit bus offers glimpse at tomorrow's lower-emission transportation
FOR RELEASE: June 13, 2001 GM Brings Clean Mass Transit To Environmental Conference
Hybrid transit bus offers glimpse at tomorrow's lower-emission public transportation
DETROIT - General Motors is donating an environmentally sensitive clean diesel hybrid transit bus for use during a major environmental conference to be held June 20-23 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The diesel-electric hybrid vehicle will shuttle conference-goers to and from their hotels to various conference locations on the University of Michigan campus, allowing them a firsthand glimpse of the future of cleaner mass transportation.
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is hosting the conference in preparation of next year's United Nations-sponsored World Summit on the Environment in South Africa. Local government officials from throughout the United States and Canada who are leaders in the field of sustainable development will be attending. They will focus on local governments' ecological programs and policies that have made positive social and economic impacts on community development.
"General Motors thought it was important as one of the conference sponsors to show sustainability experts that clean diesel hybrid buses allow transit authorities to dramatically improve fuel economy and reduce emissions while generating revenue for their local communities," said Dennis R. Minano, GM vice president, energy & environment and chief environmental officer. "This bus demonstrates that clean-diesel hybrids are available and can be used by cities around the world as part of their mass transit systems."
The multi-colored bus will also be on public display as part of a Green Fair to be held the evening of June 22 on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor.
"We're thrilled General Motors is providing the hybrid bus for this conference," said Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje. "We're pleased to give ICLEI participants, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and city residents the opportunity to see how advances in technology can lead to more environmentally sound public transportation.
"Every city should be looking for ways to provide clean mass transit options, and these types of vehicles prove that clean technology is available today. I am encouraging our transportation authority to seriously consider making these hybrid buses a permanent part of the local bus fleet," Hieftje said.
The City of Ann Arbor will also use the hybrid bus for its community "Green Map Bus Tour" on June 23. ICLEI participants will be transported around the city to see various ecological programs in action and will finish with a visit to the Environmental Protection Agency's Motor Vehicle Emissions Laboratory located on the city's north side.
The Gillig Phantom transit bus, which has a maximum capacity of 38, is a first-of-its-kind vehicle featuring parallel hybrid technology. Able to reach speeds of 65 miles per hour, the bus uses both diesel fuel and electricity to deliver lower emissions and improved fuel economy to commercial bus use. Developed by GM's Allison Transmission division, the EP System(tm) offers a range of benefits, including up to 60 percent greater fuel economy than a conventional diesel system in a transit bus application.
"Using a hybrid energy concept, this bus will out-perform conventional buses, significantly reduce emissions and provide safe and reliable transportation to people," said David Piper, director of engineering, Allison Transmission. "By leveraging the benefits of GM's advanced technologies, we will continue to develop the type of environmentally responsible, viable and sustainable hybrid propulsion systems that today's commercial applications need."
The Gillig Phantom is a high-floor 40-foot transit model, but the hybrid system will also work in 60-foot articulated buses and suburban coaches, as well as trucks.
The hybrid bus works like this: When preparing to stop, the vehicle automatically absorbs the electrical energy created by braking and captures it in an on-board energy storage system. This means energy is not wasted heating up and wearing out the bus' brake shoes. The stored energy is then used to re-accelerate the bus - a process that allows for a major increase in fuel economy.
Passengers on the bus will immediately notice its smooth, fast acceleration. Since the engine is normally operated at lower speeds and gradually brought up to higher speeds, both exhaust emissions and noise levels are greatly reduced.
Overall the EP System can achieve a: In 1999, Allison successfully completed a demonstration hybrid bus program for the New York City Transit Authority. In 2000, the company began its hybrid electric "Preview" program with New Flyer of America to bring series hybrid electric buses to transit systems across North America. California's Orange County Transit Authority was the first public transit system to place an Allison-powered hybrid electric bus into full revenue service in December 2000.