GM Delivers Hybrid Buses To Honolulu

Hybrid Buses Save Up To 60 Percent On Fuel, Reduce Emissions By Up To 90 Percent

HONOLULU - Oahu Transit Services, together with the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Transportation Services set a significant environmental example this week by adding 10 hybrid buses to its mass transit fleet. Honolulu joins the growing ranks of communities investing in transit buses powered by General Motor's hybrid technology, which offers up to 60 percent greater fuel economy and up to 90 percent cleaner emissions than conventional diesel buses.

Mayor Jeremy Harris announced the delivery of these buses, which will go into service in November, in a press conference Thursday at Honolulu City Hall. Also in attendance were representatives of the Honolulu City Council, the Oahu Transit Services, New Flyer Industries and General Motors Corp.

"These vehicles offer an exciting glimpse into another way to ensure a quality environment on our island," said Harris. "It is an excellent example of how government, working with the private sector, can take the lead to promote a more economical and cleaner lifestyle in our community."

By the end of 2004, there will be 335 GM-hybrid-equipped buses operating in about a dozen North American cities - saving about one million gallons of fuel a year. If America's nine largest cities were to replace its existing fleet of 13,000 transit buses with hybrid buses, the nation would save approximately 40 million gallons of fuel a year.

"GM's hybrid technology offers significantly improved fuel economy, along with reduced noise and emissions - qualities that are particularly important and beneficial in cities like Honolulu," said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. "We applaud Honolulu for its efforts to protect the environment today, and to help preserve it for generations to come."

In addition to improved fuel economy and dramatically lower emissions, the GM hybrid system delivers superior torque, derived from the dual electric motors used to launch from a stop, and 50 percent better acceleration than conventional diesel buses. New Flyer Industries, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, manufactures the buses.

"This bus uses the most efficient hybrid architecture available in the world today, and is an important initiative in our three-prong hybrid technology approach that is designed to provide our customers fuel economy gains and reduced emissions in a wide variety of products," said Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Powertrain. "We have developed a second generation advanced hybrid system, based on this hybrid bus technology, that will be applied to GM full-size sport utility vehicles and pickups during the next few years."